MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Sitting on top of the world, as well as two of NASCAR's top competition series, NASCAR fans are building a love-hate relationship with the sport's budding bad boy, Kyle Busch.

His raw talent and on-the-edge driving style, along with his candor and colorful articulations, are constant topic of conversations in the media and among fans.

The general consensus is coming down to this: "They love me or hate me, so love me or hate me, I don't care -- my personality is what it is," Busch said.

Which, one could argue, is better than seasons past where fans more likely than not simply hated Busch.

In the Nationwide Series, Busch has recently taken heat for giving the cold shoulder to post-race media interviews.

"That's my fire, my drive," Busch said. "I'm not there to run around and then spin myself out. I was awfully upset at myself. They want us to show our emotion when we get out of the car but then they criticize us for it."

Regardless, he doesn't care. Busch is well aware of his insane talent and his overwhelming amount of personality, and and knows how to rattle the cages NASCAR fans want rattled.

But a portion of the fans feel Busch needs his "limbs" clipped. They contend he should be more humble, gracious and respectful to his sponsors.

Translation: Homogenized.

The other end of the spectrum puts Busch on the same pedestal as his teammate Tony Stewart, meaning they want to see Busch spout off and show his true grit. They revel in his bad attitude and swagger.

Perfecting the balancing act is a frustration for the young Joe Gibbs Racing driver, known most by his entertaining post-race interviews. Depending on his performance, he'll give an eloquent speech with a splash of humor, or give you his best silent treatment.

In the past, officials have talked about implementing a "cooling off" period before microphones are shoved in the faces of drivers.

Not a good idea, said Jeff Burton.

"I'm a huge proponent of that, that's a terrible idea," Burton said. "The emotion of our sport is what makes our sport work. If the driver can't show emotion, why watch? The fans deserve to hear the story of what happened on the track from their perspective and see raw emotion."

At the same token, drivers can't cuss like a sailor and go postal during post-race interviews; NASCAR is still a family sport.

"I do believe you have to harness it in a way," Burton said. "You're speaking to an audience you don't know. So you have to assume you're speaking to a room full of kindergartners."

Burton knows how to toe the line.

"I get my point across in a clear and concise way, easily understood," he said. "That's the way I try to do it. But I love the fact that if something happens in our sport or on the track, a microphone is waiting for you outside the infield care center."

It's an element other sports lack, Burton added.

"You've seen some basketball coaches react negatively to being mic'd, but we do it every week. What's the big deal?" he said. "That's what separates our spot."

To an extent, team owners and sponsors dictate drivers' communication such as messages to fans and media, but if a driver has something to say, he's going to say it.

"I'd like to say they have no influence but obviously they do a small amount ... company messages, but as for showing who I'm mad at during the race, I still leave that up to me," Ryan Newman said.

So, the question remains: How do you balance personality with respect and win over NASCAR fans in order to have a decent following in a sport that touts the most brand-loyal buyers?

Busch is still figuring that out.

"For me, whatever I can do to win a race and put it back at 'em is what I'm going to do," Busch said. "It's an uphill battle, really."