A two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has weighed in after a week filled with discussions about on-track conflicts. Kyle Busch had some harsh words about the lack of respect in the garage.
Busch made his comments on March 18 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He responded to questions about the Phoenix incident featuring Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain, and he detailed the reason for the lack of clean racing in the national series.
“We have completely lost any sense of respect in the garage area between drivers,” Busch said at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “That’s where the problem lies. Nobody gives two s**** about anybody else and it’s just a problem where everybody takes advantage of everybody as much as they can.
“We’re all selfish, granted, but there was an etiquette that did live here. Mark [Martin] started it, I think Tony [Stewart] really lived by it, I think Jeff (Gordon) lived by it. Bobby Labonte, Rusty [Wallace], for the most part, Dale Jarrett for sure. So, I mean, it did exist.”
Busch No Longer Tries To Address These Issues
GettyKyle Busch celebrates a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The lack of respect in the three national series has been a point of discussion for multiple years. Denny Hamlin has mentioned it numerous times during at-track interviews, as have other drivers.
How does NASCAR correct this issue? Do the veterans step in and try to provide guidance? That could be one possible route, but Busch said that the younger drivers have not listened to him during previous conversations.
“I’ve tried to talk to guys,” Busch continued. “They don’t listen. So, I’ve lost interest in talking to them. I had a teammate that I talked to — kid that raced for me for two years in the Truck Series real recently — who I got into it last week with and tried to talk to him about those exact same issues. And lo and behold, it happened to me three races into a new year somewhere else. So, I’m done talking to them.”
Kyle Busch gets into it with teammate Chandler Smith on final lap of Phoenix race. pic./rOfEWlaMt2
— Kyle Dalton () March 12, 2023
There was an incident that occurred late during the Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway, one that involved Busch and former Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chandler Smith. The two drivers — both in Kaulig Racing …read more
Source:: Heavy.com