Ever since Nascar was founded, there have been heroes, villains, and legends. But every now and then, there is one driver that becomes all three. As of 2015, there were only two who were all three. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. (Richard Petty wasn’t really a villain). But as I watch the 2016 begin, I realize that a third racer is becoming all three. He has many names. He was once Wild Thing. He then became Rowdy. But his true name will forever be in Nascar record books. Kyle Busch.

When Kyle came into Nascar, he was mainly known as Kurt’s little brother. In his rookie season of 2005, Kyle’s older brother Kurt was the defending Nascar Nextel (now Sprint) Cup Series champion. But in his rookie season, driving the no. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, Kyle became the youngest driver to win a Cup race (He won 2) and pole. He was only 20. This gained some attention.

The next year, Kyle won again once, and made the Chase. It was becoming evident that he was going to be something special. But Kyle seemed to be to wild. He caused accidents, drove hot headed, and acted spoiled. He quickly became one of Nascar’s bad boys. And after 2007, he lost his ride with Hendrick Motorsports.

But for 2008, he was hired by Joe Gibbs Racing. He was now the driver of the no. 18 car. In his first year with the team, he won 8 races, but stumbled in the Chase. Still, 8 win in your first year with a new team is nothing to be ashamed of.

For the next several years, Kyle won in the Cup Series several times, but he outright dominated the Xfinity and Truck Series of Nascar. But he was still hot headed. He made enemies in all three series, and he nearly lost his primary sponsor, M&M’s, after he recklessly wrecked Truck Series title contender Ron Hornaday at Texas in 2011. He was now called Wild Thing. Still, he had outstanding talent, and he had more control over his car than any driver in Nascar.

Then, in the first Xfinity race of 2015, something happened that would change Kyle forever. Late in the race, while battling for the lead, Kyle was sent spinning down the track, and he slammed into a concrete wall, going from 90 miles per hour to 0 in less than a second. The impact shattered his right leg and left foot. Suddenly, Kyle was out of the picture. He might be out the whole season, and to be honest, he was lucky to ever race again.

But remarkably, Kyle returned after missing just 11 of the 26 races run prior to the Chase. I’m not entirely sure what happened in those 11 weeks, but when Kyle returned, Wild Thing was gone. Maybe it was the fact that him and his wife Samantha were now parents. Maybe the wreck gave Kyle a look at were his reckless racing could lead. Or maybe his team owner Joe Gibbs gave him a talk about what it really took to become a winner, and not just on the track.  It was probably all three.

But when Kyle returned, he was no longer Wild Thing. He was Rowdy. He was aggressive, but not over the top. He was calm and patient in the car, not hot headed. And somehow, he was faster than before.

In just his fifth race back, Kyle out-dueled older brother Kurt to get the win at Sonoma. He now had the win he needed to get in the Chase. Now he just needed to reach the top-30 in points. That was no problem. After a wreck at Daytona, Kyle won three race in a row at Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Indianapolis. He raced into the Chase despite missing 11 races, and then did what seemed impossible. He won the 2015 Nascar Sprint Cup Series championship.

Kyle had done what no one had ever done before: he had missed races and won the Championship under the Chase format. And he won five races, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

And what’s more, Kyle is a very friendly person with fans. I have seen many instances where he has gone out of his way to sign an autograph, or pose for a photo. That’s nice to see.

Coming into 2016, Kyle was on a hot streak. He turned that into a fire streak. So far he has won 1 of 3 Truck races, 4 of 6 Xfinity races, and he has won 2 of 7 Cup races. That’s 7 of 16! Added to that, he has swept the past two Nascar weekends. That’s 4 Nascar wins in a row. No one other than Kyle has won in over two weeks!

Now normally, people would boo Kyle when he wins. But ever since he return from his injuries, Kyle and his victory bow have become a fan favorite. And he is becoming a legend. He was already a bad boy, and if he needs to be, he still is. He is a hero to many. And he now is becoming a legend. He is Rowdy, winner of 141 Nascar races, 2016 champion, and future Nascar legend.

And by the way, Kyle is only thirty. Many more championships seem possible, and if his total Nascar wins pass 200 (Which they most likely will) Kyle will become the all time wins leader in Nascar. How About that? I’m glad I’ve been able to watch him.