Quintessential Kyle Busch: Iconic Chicagoland moment wasn't just an act

Kyle Busch's famous "crying eyes" celebration became an iconic NASCAR GIF. Eight years later, it deserves a different interpretation.

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The crying eyes gesture wasn’t new for Kyle Busch.

At least twice before -- after wins at Bristol Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International -- “Rowdy” had gleefully pantomimed the supposed tears of the detractors who were resigned to his inevitability.

But this time was different -- and not only because it became perhaps the defining episode of Busch being cast in the role of NASCAR’s greatest villain.

Walking down the banking while clutching the checkered flag after a slam-bang win over Kyle Larson at Chicagoland Speedway, Busch removed his headsock and stopped to mug directly into an NBC camera. He rubbed his left eye with the poutiest of faces before flinging away his earbuds in a dramatic flourish.

The scene was captured for a live national TV audience of millions who watched a classic GIF being born in real time.

While it’s a quintessential moment in the colorful career of a captivating champion whose polarizing personality always commanded the main stage, there was also something unique about this turn as the bad guy.

Of all the iconic instances in which Busch is remembered for playing the heel, this was among the least performative. The crying eyes gesture hardly required an acting job.

Busch was channeling his authentic disappointment at the perceived lack of appreciation that thousands showed for the enthralling series of haymakers just traded by two Hall of Fame-level talents.

In a failed attempt at a “slide job” (a dirt-racing maneuver involving out-braking to gain a spot), Kyle Larson drove into the side of Busch and then into the lead on the backstretch. Busch repaid the contact in the last turn and reclaimed the position for the win.

Epic stuff.

Yet a familiar chorus of boos still erupted as Busch triumphantly exited his No. 18 Toyota.

“When you put on a great show and have a really fun time being able to do everything as hard as you can to try to win a Cup Series race, for as hard as they are to win, it would certainly be nice to have some appreciation for putting on a good show for those fans,” he would later say. “When the boos are raining down on you in that moment, it certainly doesn’t make you feel good about yourself or what you just did, and so you sometimes aren’t thinking straight or clearly in those moments.”

His interview in the immediate aftermath underscored the genuine befuddlement with the negative reaction to a final lap destined to be replayed for eternity.

“I don’t know what you are all whining about, but if you don’t like that kind of racing, don’t even watch,” Busch said with a dismissive wave of his right hand that he followed by later blowing a kiss to the crowd. “Pretty cool going to Victory Lane.”

When he got there several minutes later, the next interview revealed he was still hung up on the crowd’s reaction.

“My fans, they’re pretty passionate, they’re pretty powerful for what we got going on with Rowdy Nation,” he said. “The rest of them, I don’t know what they’re booing about. That was a hell of a race. You got problems if you don’t like that.”

Of course, Busch could understand their reaction because he often was the one who stoked it over two decades and 234 wins in NASCAR’s top three national series.

Among stars who were comfortable and secure enough to wear the black hat, he was unequaled at effortlessly embracing the opportunity.

Smashing a guitar in Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway ... literally dropping a mic in the Charlotte Motor Speedway media center ... giving a sarcastic thumbs up in a post-Bristol Motor Speedway care center interview.

The visuals are among the many reasons Busch was the “Most GIF-able Driver in NASCAR History.”

As he once put it, “people are obsessed with everything I do.”

And on July 1, 2018, there was ample reason to be mesmerized.

What’s forgotten about Busch’s win at Chicagoland is how unlikely it was.

He qualified 16th, failed to score a point in either stage and hardly factored until seizing control to lead the final 59 laps. On a scorching summer day, crew chief Adam Stevens was struck by how, “given how poor our car was,” Busch stayed focused on improving by giving strong feedback without giving up.

“We missed it all weekend,” Stevens said. “But he’s a one-in-a-million talent. The sport hasn’t seen too many people with his level of talent. To get the chance to win races with him is what every little boy dreams about.”

Even the runner-up was somewhat in awe of the finish.

“I love racing Kyle,” Larson said. “I know all you fans are probably mad at him, but hey, we put on a hell of a show for you guys. That was a blast. That’s got to be one of the best NASCAR finishes of all time.”

Maybe it’s also the way to reinterpret Busch’s gesture eight years later.

Cry your eyes out, fans.

You witnessed greatness ... before it was gone.

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Full throttle linkage

Some NASCAR.com reads to check out from the past week:

• What’s old is new again at Chicagoland Speedway, and Neil Paine takes a look at which drivers might have an edge on the 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Illinois.

• Holly Cain on The NASCAR Foundation and its quest to fulfill a mission of giving through 20 years.

• On the “Hauler Talk” podcast, NASCAR competition strategist Scott Miller provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Remote Race Control facility.

• As Alex Bowman addressed his contract status with Hendrick Motorsports, Zach Sturniolo examines where things stand for the driver during the 2026 season.

• Christopher Bell is on the rise with a fifth at Sonoma Raceway as Pat DeCola compiles the latest power rankings for the Cup Series.

• Round 1 of the In-Season Challenge is complete, and Zack Albert has the lowdown on the tournament heading into Chicagoland.