Kyle Busch finishes second at Bristol and has strong words for lapped drivers
Kyle Busch finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, but it wasn’t the result the defending Cup champion driver was seeking. Busch nearly won the race, chasing winner Kevin Harvick though the finish line and holding the lead for 10 laps at the end of the final stage.
“We had a good car,” Busch said, “one that was in contention all night long. Fired off at the start of the race, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is a pretty good car.’ And then got beat by another really good car, I guess.”
Busch said prior to the playoffs that he was targeting Richmond and Bristol to secure his first win of the season. At both races, though, Busch’s No. 18 Toyota team suffered from pre-race penalties, which forced him to start at the back of the field instead of within the top 10. Despite making up track position through both events, after 29 races, Busch is still winless in 2020.
The driver’s frustration manifested in criticisms Saturday night. When asked after the race why he didn’t bump Harvick, Busch said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind.
“You always try to race hard and race clean and get the job done right,” Busch said. “And yeah, I mean if that lapped car wasn’t there, I would have blown it in on the outside or the inside and maybe we would have banged each other’s doors or whatever and had a greater finish to the checkered.”
“But some of them dips‑‑t kids don’t know what the hell they’re doing or where they’re at and can’t stay out of the way,” Busch said. “Nothing like a Gase and a Smithley.”
Busch was referring to drivers Joey Gase and Garrett Smithley, who finished 31st and 32nd, respectively, at Bristol. William Byron crashed out of the race in the second stage, which ended the playoff bubble driver’s hopes for advancing further in the postseason, and criticized Gase for causing the accident.
“I don’t know why he just stopped in the middle of the straightaway,” Byron said on the No. 24 Chevrolet team radio. “What an idiot.”
It’s not the first time drivers on smaller teams have been criticized for getting in the way or slowing down the field. Cup rookie Quin Houff was the target of criticism by other drivers for mistakes during the regular season.
Busch’s comments Saturday didn’t just extend to younger drivers, however. He also expressed frustration with Joey Logano, who blocked Busch when the No. 18 was in the lead and Logano was two laps down in the final stage. The block slowed Busch’s momentum and Harvick was able to regain his top spot.
“He’s nobody’s friend for a reason,” Busch said of Logano. “So there you have it.”
Both Logano and Busch are advancing to the Round of 12, which kicks off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend, followed by races at Talladega and the Charlotte road course. Busch is ranked 10th and in jeopardy of not advancing through to the Round of 8 as points currently stand.
The veteran driver’s final criticism of the evening was for his own team. When asked how he felt about continuing the chase for the championship at Las Vegas, Busch’s response was short.
“We’ll be eliminated in the next round,” Busch said. “So don’t care.”
NASCAR 2020 playoff schedule
Round of 12
▪ 7 pm Sunday, Sept. 27: South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
▪ 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 4: YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
▪ 2:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 11: Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Round of 8
▪ 2:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 18: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway
▪ 3:30 pm Sunday, Oct 25: Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
▪ 2 pm Sunday, Nov. 1: Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway
Championship 4
▪ 3 pm Sunday, Nov. 8: NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway
