Story behind Kyle Busch smashing Les Paul guitar at Nashville Superspeedway; will he do it again? - Tennessean
NASHVILLE -- Joe Williams was beside himself -- and beside Kyle Busch.
The latter only happened because Sam Bass insisted he be that June afternoon in 2009.
Williams, who has made a living with words and was the track announcer at Nashville Superspeedway, wanted nothing to do with interviewing Busch after he won an Xfinity Series race.
Busch celebrated by smashing the hand-painted Les Paul guitar that was awarded to the winner in Victory Lane. In front of the man, Bass, who painted it and estimated its worth at around $25,000.
"Most of us took that as a middle finger," Williams said. "He didn't mean it that way. Nobody knew that in the moment."
What Williams later learned is that Busch ordered a few replicas of the guitar from Bass, who died of kidney disease in 2019 and was NASCAR's only official artist, a man responsible for painting many car schemes and helmets.
Williams also learned that Busch "made some very significant contributions to music programs in Nashville" after the fact.
Busch contended then and contends now he was simply trying to break the guitar, in rock'n'roll fashion, so he could give each member of his team part of the prize. He meant no disrespect toward Bass or anyone.
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"Maybe he thought he was Gene Simmons and wanted to be a rock star," said Williams, who will work Sunday's race for 102.5-FM and spent 41 years working at some capacity at the Nashville Fairgrounds. "That was kind of, I think, what he was thinking."
At the time, Williams was thinking Busch's celebration was akin to someone winning a Mona Lisa, then putting a match to it in front of Leonardo da Vinci.
Williams' first question to Busch, whom he talked to seconds after the spectacle, was "Why?"
Remember, he'd only talked to Busch because Bass insisted. Wlliams had the blessing of his bosses to skip the interview. He was that insulted by Busch's actions at the time.
"The guys that were all on my team got a piece; I got a piece," Busch said. "There’s still that in the trophy case.
“I am ready for another one. That would certainly be cool to add to the trophy case again with a Cup Series trophy.”
Busch will get that chance that the speedway Sunday when the Cup Series returns to the city for the first time since 1984.
The winner will receive another Les Paul guitar, Nashville Superspeedway president Erik Moses said. This one obviously won't be hand-painted by Bass, or even replicated in his style. But Moses said Bass' wife gave her blessing for the trophy.
Moses also said Bass wasn't all that torn up about the piece he spent 140 hours perfecting being smashed to pieces.
"It gets repeated enough times and it has a life of its own," Moses said. "I have heard there were some fans out there who use that as another reason to criticize Kyle. I don't want to speak for (Bass' wife, Denise) but she made it clear she and Sam knew exactly what doing that day. Neither Sam nor her hold any grudges against Kyle about that and never have."
Busch's 58 Cup Series victories are tied with Kevin Harvick for most among active drivers.
Question is, if he wins No. 59 Sunday will there be more guitar pieces in Victory Lane?
Williams, who said he has recurring dreams about trying to stop Busch from doing it, doesn't think so.
"He had this funny look when he got it in his hand," Williams said of that 2009 day. "It's Kyle Busch; you expect something different. When he got it out, he raised it about his head. I thought, 'Surely not.' When he started down the first time I though, 'OK, he's going to stop short; we're all going to have a laugh. It's going to be a great picture. ... You can't print what went through my mind. ... My instinct was to stop him. I thought, 'If I do, my career is over.' He crunched on it three, four times.
"I looked at (my boss) and said, 'I can't talk to this guy.'"
Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.
2021-06-16 10:10:58Z
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2021/06/16/kyle-busch-smashed-les-paul-guitar-nashville-nascar-superspeedway-cup/7711466002/
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