Busch upset with latest finish
We’re two weeks into the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs, and I have to be honest, not much has happened.
The series has raced at Las Vegas and Richmond, both races were won by Martin Truex Jr. With those races, he has advanced into the next round of the playoffs.
Besides the small storylines like Erik Jones, a playoff contender, having mechanical issues at Las Vegas and then failing post-race inspection at Richmond. There has only been one major storyline.
Kyle Busch is back in the news with a negative light on him due to his post-race comments towards media members last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Let’s finish explaining what lead to all this.
On the opening laps of the race, he hit the wall and damaged his car really bad. From that point on, he wasn’t a lead car and he had to battle back from the rear of the field to the front.
Within the closing laps of the race, Kyle was running close to the front when he entered turn one and ran into the back of a lapped car (a lapped car is a slower car that is usually multiple laps down).
Garrett Smithley, #52, was the lapped car who was driving in the second lane from the top of the track when Kyle Busch, who was much faster, drove in the same lane and slammed into the back of him.
Lapped cars are told to hold their line and make the faster car go around them since it’s assumed that a faster driver has more experience and can make the pass without wrecking.
Busch believed that he was going to finish top five, but instead finished P19 after this accident.
To make a long story short, post-race Busch met with media members and was obviously upset. Here is an example…
Media Member: “What happened out there with the 53?”
Busch: “52, get it right. Don’t know”
The list of nasty, rude responses continued and are highlighted with him saying multiple times “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.”
His little pit road press conference ended with him turning around to his PR guy saying “I’m answering the dumbest f**king questions over and over again, am I good?” and he walks away.
His frustration is completely understandable, he had a bad day and he honestly wanted to leave, and honestly he could have been a lot worse with the media since he has been in the past.
What took my breath away is the fact that his 4-year-old son could one day rewatch that interview and think that it is okay to act that way. It’s the same with the young racers now, all it takes is one 10 or 13-year-old to see him acting that way and think it’s okay to act that way at their own races.
I don’t think Kyle should have been fined or anything, I just believe that he should have handled those couple questions a little differently. Just my thoughts.
Anyways, the NASCAR storm heads home this weekend. They will race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval for the third race in the playoffs. This race is also a cut off race, meaning the amount of championship eligible drivers will go from 16 to 12. After that, they’ll start the round of 12 at Dover International Speedway in Delaware.
See you all in a couple weeks!