Kyle Busch wins pole for NASCAR Cup race

Kyle Busch may be ornery and he may be controversial, but there is no debate he is one of the best in NASCAR — mic drop and all.

Busch turned a lap of 158.954 mph Friday to win the pole at Dover International Speedway as he tries to drive the No. 18 Toyota to victory lane for the first time this season.

He has three straight top-five finishes and was runner-up to Austin Dillon last week in the Coca-Cola 600. But that near miss has gnawed at Busch, who won the All-Star race and then lost the spotlight at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Asked about Dillon’s win, Busch gruffly replied, “I’m not surprised about anything . Congratulations.” With no more questions, he dropped the microphone and left, his conduct quickly parodied and criticized .

Busch was angry. And after years of trying to convince the public he had rehabbed his tempestuous image, the 32-year-old married father of one son realized he may never change.

“Certainly, different people show their emotion in different ways and unfortunately for me, mine has never been very gracious and I don’t know that it ever will be,” Busch said. “I’m kind of learning that as the days go on when my son (Brexton) is 2 years old; I see where it came from. It’s genetic. I’m sorry. That’s just who I am . ... That’s what I was given. If there was anyone to blame it’s probably the guy upstairs. I can probably get better and go to training and classes and everything else, but I don’t know. It is the way it is.”

Busch has a resume NASCAR Hall of Famers would envy, with a NASCAR championship, 173 wins over three series and an elite ride for Joe Gibbs Racing.