"Kyle Busch has been most fair to me": Denny Hamlin on former teammate's racing ethics despite wearing NASCAR's "black hat"

Joe Gibbs Racing stalwart Denny Hamlin recently shed light on his former teammate Kyle Busch's fair racing ethics despite wearing the "black hat."

The 2023 NASCAR campaign saw veteran driver Denny Hamlin take over the mantle of NASCAR's bad guy. The 43-year-old driver found himself entangled in clashes with multiple fan-favorite drivers throughout the course of the season. The incidents, coupled with Hamlin's new-found demeanor, drew widespread negative reactions from fans in the arena.

Intriguingly, Denny Hamlin's transformation is reminiscent to his former teammate Kyle Busch.

For the longest time in the previous decade of racing, KFB was fans' go-to bad guy. Similar to Hamlin, Busch wore the black hat and embraced the role of being NASCAR's antagonist. However, a change of circumstances and a move to Richard Childress Racing slowly transitioned Busch from being a heel to a fan-favorite.

Notably, in a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast after the Busch Light Clash at LA Memorial Coliseum, Denny Hamlin revealed his admiration for Busch's racing ethics despite the latter's notorious reputation. Hamlin said:

"Honestly if I had anyone to choose to be behind me on a green-white-checkered, as much as he wore the black hat for many many years… Kyle Busch has been probably the most fair to me." (43:39)

He added:

"Probably other than like a Martin Truex (Jr.), who's probably the ultimate fair guy. But Kyle Busch is just very fair when it comes to racing for wins. So, if I had to choose anyone to be behind me, it would be Kyle."

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Kyle Busch receives sponsorship boost ahead of Bristol Cup race

In a bid to to raise awareness about the need for financial education, Richard Childress Racing and Kyle Busch are partnering with FICO, an analytics software firm based in Bozeman, Montana.

Busch's No. 8 Chevrolet will collaborate with FICO for multiple races across the 2024 season. The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be the first race to feature this partnership.

Reacting to the move, Busch emphasized the importance of financial education for fans and the next generation of racers. He stated (via TobyChristie):

"It’s important that people, including fans and the next generation of racers, have access to financial and credit education because it’s the first step in achieving financial wellness. At RCR, our drivers are from a variety of backgrounds; and as a team, we look forward to working with FICO to help our fans learn more about the value of money, how credit works, and the importance of building good financial habits."