BRISTOL, Tenn. — Say what you will about Kyle Busch, but the current Sprint Cup points leader still has a little humility left in him.

Four weekends are in the books and Busch has been the story at some time during each one. As the series hits the short track at the Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Food City 500, Busch comes in as the race’s defending champion and is fresh off a win at Atlanta that pushed his points lead to 72.

Yes, he’s a bit brash, and sure, he drives like it, too. But when people start calling him the most talented young driver to hit the series since Jeff Gordon arrived, it makes him pause.

“It’s pretty cool to have people talking about my abilities like that and to have my abilities for people to talk about,” Busch said. “Yeah, that’s pretty special to me. I just go out there and drive the wheels over anything that I can. Whether it’s a go-kart, a Cup car, a Nationwide car, a truck or a Late Model car — it doesn’t much matter to me.

“I’m just going out there to have some fun and do what I can behind the wheel.”

And fun he had, especially in the March 7 Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta, where one lap he would go on the apron to make a pass and the next lap swing to the outer wall to gain more spots. He won that race, would have won Saturday’s Nationwide race if not for a blown tire, then gave Toyota its first Sprint Cup win Sunday.

He may not have a lot of fans — he says his fan club numbers about 50 — but he has several admirers among his peers, who realize how on the edge Busch drives.

“Racing on the apron at Atlanta was probably as bold a move as I’ve seen,” Greg Biffle said. “He’s putting it on the line. You’re going to win some and lose some that way, but he’s definitely aggressive. I used to drive like that in the truck series and won rookie of the year and a championship and had more wins than anybody one season, so it will pay off, but it will bite you sometimes, too.”

The 22-year-old isn’t worried about the downside to his aggressive driving. He admits he only knows one speed.

“I really don’t know any other way to drive,” he said. “I don’t have a big game plan when I get into a car. I just go.”