Kyle Busch Was Joe Gibbs Racing’s “Second Choice” Signing, Says

Kyle Busch Was Joe Gibbs Racing’s “Second Choice” Signing, Says Team President

In a revealing new interview celebrating Kyle Busch’s 40th birthday, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) President Dave Alpern admitted that the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was not the team’s initial pick when they were signing a new driver back in 2008. According to Alpern, the team’s first choice at the time was none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The NASCAR world was recently treated to a series of interviews chronicling Busch’s career, and in one particularly candid moment, Alpern acknowledged that Busch was approached only after JGR was unable to secure Earnhardt Jr., who ultimately signed with Hendrick Motorsports. “You hate to say he was our second choice, but at the time, he was,” Alpern confessed.

Busch joined JGR after being let go by Hendrick Motorsports. The departure wasn’t entirely unexpected, as Hendrick reportedly felt that Busch’s personality didn’t align with the team’s culture. The message, according to reports, was clear: “Hey, you don’t really fit here. You’re not really our personality that we’re looking for at Hendrick.”

Despite being seen as a backup option at JGR, Busch’s arrival marked a major turning point in his racing career. He quickly became one of the most dominant drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Over his 15-year tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch captured an impressive 56 race wins and claimed two Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019.

Alpern also reflected on Busch’s intense and often polarizing personality, describing him as “complicated.” He elaborated that Busch had a unique ability to switch into racing mode, becoming laser-focused before races in a way that made him less approachable. “Kyle had a switch that would flip, and it was at some point before the race started,” Alpern explained. “I would often go up to Kyle and do a picture, but he was not my first driver that I would go to on the grid because he had already flipped the ‘Rowdy’ switch on. And he was just zoned in, locked in.”

This fierce competitiveness may have made Busch a complex figure in the paddock, but it also fueled his success on the track. His nickname, “Rowdy,” encapsulated his aggressive and fearless racing style, which endeared him to fans while sometimes causing friction with competitors and teams.

Beyond the Cup Series, Busch has also enjoyed tremendous success in other NASCAR divisions. He currently holds a record 169 combined victories in the Xfinity and Truck Series, further cementing his status as one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history. His most recent win came earlier this year in the Truck Series race at Atlanta.

Though he may not have been Joe Gibbs Racing’s first choice, Busch undeniably became one of the most iconic and successful drivers in the team’s history. His time at JGR not only solidified his legacy but also proved that sometimes a second choice can deliver championship results.