Tony Stewart isn't holding back. The NASCAR legend is furious at how the motorsports world has handled the death of Kyle Busch, and he's making sure everyone hears about it.
Busch passed away on May 21 at age 41 after severe pneumonia led to sepsis. The loss came less than a week after he won the Ecosave 200 at Dover Motor Speedway, a victory that now feels hauntingly final. Stewart, who raced alongside Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, posted a heartfelt tribute online that showed just how deep the wound runs.
“Kyle Busch was a fierce competitor. He was strong-willed, confident not only in his ability behind the wheel, but in his opinions. He held his own and didn’t mince words,” Stewart wrote. “What a loss for the NASCAR community and the motorsports community as a whole. Kyle was one of a kind. Whether it was to see him win or to see someone beat him, you watched. Even the haters will miss Kyle.”
But Stewart’s frustration didn’t end with that tribute. Speaking recently at Bristol Dragway, he unloaded on the very community that now mourns Busch, accusing them of hypocrisy. Stewart believes too many people judged Busch solely by his fiery on-track persona without ever taking the time to know the real person—a husband, a father, a teammate.
“I guess the biggest thing in this tragedy that’s happened that [expletives] me off the most is that now everybody wants to talk about how he was as a person. Outside of that, all they wanted to do is judge what they saw on TV,” Stewart said. “It’s frustrating. That’s the way every one of us are judged by what they see on TV and then once you die, they want to talk about how good a person you were. That’s the part that [expletives] me off the most about it right now.”
Stewart didn't stop there. He challenged fans and media alike to reflect on their own behavior.
“Should’ve given him a chance to learn him as a person before they judged him in the first place. So, right now, I don’t care about educating everybody about how Kyle Busch was. I know how Kyle Busch was,” Stewart continued. “The fact that they all want to learn now, they’re the [expletives] for not taking the time to learn him and accept him for who he was back then. You want to wait until a guy dies and then care about who he was as a person is the part that pisses me off about everybody.”
The raw emotion in Stewart’s words resonates deeply, especially among Busch’s loyal fanbase. They’ve long defended the driver’s intensity, arguing it was part of what made him a champion. Now, with his passing, the conversation has shifted to his legacy—but Stewart insists it shouldn’t have taken a tragedy for people to see the full picture.
Busch leaves behind his wife, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix, as well as his parents, Tom and Gaye, and his brother, Kurt. In his tribute, Stewart acknowledged that the family would soon learn just how much the racing world cared—but he wished they’d seen it sooner.
Stewart’s criticism echoes a broader theme in sports: the tendency to celebrate athletes only after they’re gone. It’s a pattern that’s played out in other arenas too, from NBA legends urging young stars to protect themselves to the tragic stories of athletes gone too soon. But for Stewart, this isn’t just a trend—it’s personal.
As the NASCAR community continues to grapple with Busch’s death, Stewart’s words serve as a powerful reminder to look beyond the helmet. The man who won races and riled up rivals was also a father, a friend, and a fierce competitor who deserved respect while he was still here. Stewart isn’t backing down, and he’s making sure the world hears his message loud and clear.
