2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch included a stop at the Daytona Rising/NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum at The Mirage in Las Vegas as part of his whirlwind week of team, media and sponsor appearances following a successful year on the track. Busch was talkative on stage and gracious off of it, speaking with well-wishers, posing for selfies and sitting with a group of reporters beforehand to talk about everything from winning races to the Broncos’ chances of getting to the Super Bowl. Here are a few quick hits from the interview, which was conducted by Fox NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little:
* On his non-stop schedule since winning the Cup: “It’s been pretty good. I really enjoyed trying to take it all in and soak it up, and put on the best face possible for myself, but also for NASCAR, M&M’s, Toyota and everyone that’s been our partner over the years.”
* On whether his marketing efforts have changed now that he is a father: “Not necessarily. I’m talking to mom. Mom’s the one who buys it for the kids, so I’ve got to make sure mom’s happy.”
* On whether he would like to act in the new NASCAR television series being developed: “I would be up for it, certainly. What I’m trying to push, and my wife is trying to push, is it would be pretty unique to try to remake the story of what the past 18 months my life, and my wife’s life, has been like. Our whole journey of infertility, and the things we did, and the injury at Daytona, and the rehab getting back, winning, having Brexton, and just going through all that. So Hollywood should buy that script. I think it would be pretty good. ... And the way it ended, that’s the whole storyline. If we finished second, then it’s not a movie.”
* On how his relationship with fans has changed over the years: “My relationship with the fans has been pretty interesting over the years. When I came into the sport, I was 18, and I went to my first Xfinity race ... and I went to driver intros and I got booed, and was like, ‘Wait a second, this is my first race. ... I didn’t do anything wrong.’ I was a little bit guilty by association with my brother, but that’s OK. ... But (now) I’ve got great fans of my own. ... It all comes together. This year I definitely noticed some sort of change in the fans and the reception that I got.”
* On which had the greater impact, becoming a father or becoming Cup champ: “Becoming a dad. That’s life. Racing is what we do, and what we love, and what we enjoy, but life comes first.”
