Every NASCAR driver has their own signature celebration race win…Ross Chastain smashes a watermelon, Carl Edwards used to do a back flip off of his car, Alan Kulwicki’s “polish lap” where he drove around the track backwards waving to the fans, some drivers climb the fence, and they all do burnouts. 

The winningest driver in NASCAR – Kyle Busch – has a very special way to celebrate his wins…he gets the checkered flag and gives a deep bow toward the crowd.

After only three weeks of racing in the 2023 NASCAR season, Busch has already added two more wins to his career total – a Cup Series win at Auto Club Speedway in only his second race of driving the number eight car for Richard Childress Racing and a Craftsman Truck Series race win in his hometown at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But how did Rowdy’s trademark celebration get started???

He isn’t really sure but explains, “I don’t really remember exactly how it started, but I just kind of came up with the idea of when I would do a burnout and one of the biggest burnouts I ever did — that I can recall — was actually early on in my career at Charlotte after winning an Xfinity Series race.  I think I won my third or fourth race. When I did a burnout afterwards there was so much smoke that when I got out of the car, you couldn’t see the grandstands. So, I was just standing there, waiting for the smoke to dissipate so I could see the crowd.”

He continues, “I was like, ‘Heeeeey, I’m here.’ So I thought of it as, I’m appearing out of the smoke, like I’m a magician. And being from Vegas and being a showman with the background of being from there, I was like, ‘OK, what do great performers do every time they have a great performance for the crowd?’ They come out and bow for the crowd and are getting applause for the end of the show, so that was kind of my idea.  Do a big burnout, appear out of the smoke and do a big bow.”

Speaking on his Auto Club Speedway win Busch said, “I think it’s just phenomenal.”  He concluded, “there’s nothing more rewarding than being able to go to Victory Lane.”

Busch’s Auto Club Speedway win also set two more records – formerly tied with Richard Petty for at least one win in the past 18 consecutive years, Busch broke the tie and now holds the record alone with 19 consecutive years with a win.  The other record is joining his brother Kurt in holding the record for siblings with the most NASCAR Cup Series wins with 95…beating out Bobby and Donnie Allison. 

Kyle Busch has a total of 225 total wins – 62 Craftsman Truck Series wins, 102 Xfinity Series wins, and 61 Cup Series wins.

But Rowdy admits that he has not give his trademark bow for all 225 of them saying, “there have been races when there were wins and I’ve forgotten to do it.  I don’t know how you forget to do it, but you just do, there’s so much running through your mind. And if I steal one [a win] I don’t typically a do a bow because it’s like, ‘OK, I stole one, I didn’t really deserve it.’ But hey, if you have a good performance, do a great job, bow for the crowd.”  And well, there have been a few times when reporters jumped the gun and he didn’t get the opportunity to give his bow.