Getty Kyle Busch before race at Indy.
Since Kyle Busch returned from the Olympic break and his overseas vacation, he’s come back refreshed, as evidenced by his on-track results, including a 12th place at Richmond and a fourth at Michigan, his first Top 5 in 13 races. He’s also returned feisty, taking shots at a pair of drivers in as many weeks. The latest target in Rowdy’s sights is a familiar foe in Brad Keselowski.
After the August 19 rain-delayed Michigan race, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion responded to a post by NASCAR’s X account that showed the final restart where the No. 6 lined up in the second row on the outside and the Richard Childress Racing driver in the row right behind him, and included the moment when the RFK Racing driver/co-owner unexpectedly checked up going into Turn 1, which caused a chain reaction as the No. 8 and others stacked up behind.
“#NASCAROvertime in Michigan,” the NASCAR account posted. “This is how it went down.”
“What the [expletive] was the 6 doing?!” Busch bluntly replied.
@NASCAR What the Fu€k was the 6 doing?!
Keselowski explained in his post-race interview what happened.
“We just had a couple of issues today with the engine shutting off,” he told NBC’s Parker Kligerman. “So it was frustrating but it was just part of our day.”
Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski Have a Lengthy History
Kyle Busch being at odds with Brad Keselowski isn’t anything new. The pair have held animus toward each other for years. The 2012 Cup champion made it clear just how he felt about Busch in 2010 during driver introductions at Bristol.
“Brad Keselowski, driver of the Penske Racing Dodge,” he said over the public address system. “Kyle Busch is an ass.” The more than 150,000 in attendance cheered.
@keselowski was asked if his relationship with @kylebusch was strained after contact during the last two @SRXracing events. The 2012 Cup Series champion couldn’t help but chuckle in his response.
Fast forward to August 2023. After a couple of incidents in back-to-back races, not in NASCAR but in the SRX Series, Keselowski was asked about how the contact with Busch might have put a strain on their relationship.
“Well, I don’t know if my relationship with Kyle could be any more strained. So I don’t think that’s uh,” he said, then paused with a chuckle. “I don’t think there’s any room for growth there.”
Kyle Busch Called Out Joey Logano at Michigan Days Before
Interestingly, Kyle Busch calling out Brad Keselowski’s move at the end of Michigan occurred only two days after similar criticism of the Cup Series’ only other active two-time champion Joey Logano. Reporters asked the RCR driver during media availabilities his thoughts on what happened in the August 11 Richmond race when his teammate Austin Dillon moved both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final turns to win the race. Actions NASCAR penalized.
“Certainly there’s the right way to win races and there’s a wrong way to win races,” Busch told reporters. “There’s a lot of guys that have done some desperate things to get wins, even when they’re not desperate, you know?
Kyle Busch on Joey Logano when talking about the Richmond finish: “The one that had it happen to him is probably the one that has done it the most. … I guess his comments, he could be calling himself that.”
“The one that had it happen to them (Logano) is probably the one that’s done it the most that doesn’t need to do it. So, you know, I guess his comments, he can be calling himself that. Somebody threw up a highlight of him from the K&N race at Irwindale years ago. I forgot all about that one.
“Holy mackerel. Doing [expletive] like that should never get you to the top level. But, it did. So, anyways, yeah, be mindful of what you do, I guess. It’s always going to come back on you. YouTube is there for not all positives.”
Next week’s race is at Daytona — a track that Busch has won once in 38 attempts (July 2013) and has been vocal about in recent years, insisting how winning there requires a lot of luck. Translation: if things don’t go well, a foul mood might have him calling out yet another driver.
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Kyle Busch Takes Aim at Brad Keselowski in Second Driver Callout in Matter of Days