Kyle Busch: The Lord Voldemort of Stock Car Racing?

In the Harry Potter series, created so masterfully by J.K. Rowling, the epitome of evil is Lord Voldemort or “He Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken.”  He is the perfectly dark opposite of the good found in hero Harry Potter.  Ultimately, we all know who prevailed in that final battle (hopefully that is not ruining it for that last person on earth who has yet to read the final book).

Just as Lord Voldemort arose from the darkness, a new villain has been brewing in NASCAR this year and his name is Kyle Busch.  Just like the Dark Lord, he has convinced us all of this powers, with win after win in the Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series. 

He has taken on the usual “heroes” of the sport, including former teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and prevailed.   And he has even tussled with NASCAR’s most popular hero Dale Earnhardt Jr., much to the dismay of Junior Nation.

Busch has seemingly gained strength, just as the Dark Lord did, from his “firing” from Hendrick Motorsports, using that anger to fuel his drive. And Kyle has been on a tear ever since, winning race after race, driving each lap with totally reckless abandon. 

His unending energy, jumping from car to car and series to series, mirrors perfectly the gathering power of the Dark Lord as he gathered his strength for the final battle.

Just like Lord Voldemort, Kyle’s arrogance surpasses all, which has made him one of the most reviled drivers in NASCAR.  His “bows” at the end of the race most certainly draw the biggest boos and jeers, even surpassing the boo birds for Jeff Gordon.   Yet, just as Lord Voldemort, Busch seems to feed on the negative reactions and use them to grow more powerful in himself.

Sure NASCAR has always had the rivalries and battles between “good” and “evil” drivers.  Even Dale Earnhardt, Sr. as the Intimidator, could have been seen as the dark knight of racing.  But there were also many redeeming qualities of Dale Sr. that balanced out his darker side and endeared him always to the fans. 

Unfortunately, to date, we have not seen that softer side of Kyle Busch.

So, just as in the Harry Potter series, NASCAR needs a hero to battle the self-proclaimed wicked villain.  Yet, so far, even as the season nears the chase for the championship, no Harry Potter hero has arisen to take on the Kyle challenge.

And that’s not good for NASCAR.  In fact, many fans are turning off the races, as they cannot stand to see one more Busch bow in victory lane.  These are hard core race fans too, not the ones flipping channels between NASCAR, golf and The History Channel.  That must give all NASCAR leadership pause for concern, as they watch the ratings slip and tumble.

So, will Kyle continue his reign as “He Who Must Not Be Named?  Or is there a hero out there who can take him on?   Come on drivers, we are desperate for our own Harry Potter to emerge so we can have that happy triumph of good over evil this season.