Hopes were high for Kyle Busch heading to Michigan International Speedway this past weekend, and he looked like a contender after a strong showing in qualifying.
That confidence was quickly dashed on Sunday as Busch battled for position with the No. 12 of Ryan Blaney.
Only 14 laps into the 400-mile race, Busch drove his No. 8 Chevy deep into the corner on the inside of Blaney, before running up the track and making contact with the No. 12. That contact caused Busch to lose control and spin out into the outside wall.
The impact for Busch was enough to cause major damage to the car and ended his day before the race even really got going.
Busch wasn't too thrilled with the way Blaney was battling so hard so early in the race, and in his mind it only adds to NASCAR's problems with the way people are racing.
When asked after being released from the care center, Busch let Fox Sports Bob Pockrass know his frustration.
Kyle Busch says with the way drivers are racing, he put himself in a bad position that resulted in his wreck. He says he and Ryan Blaney did touch a little bit. pic.twitter.com/6CacjQGMaj
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 6, 2023
"We touched a little bit, and that's when you lose all the air and you spin out," Busch said. "They all run hard. They all want to race to crash. I tried to make a move — and in the old days, guys you were racing, they'd let you go and have that spot and work for it later. But this day and age is completely different."
Busch made it clear that with the way guys are racing these days, he regrets putting himself in that position.
After entering the weekend with such high hopes, Busch ended the race with a last-place finish. As for Blaney, he was able to finish inside the top 10.
Busch's concerns about the new style of driving in NASCAR seem to be falling on deaf ears. His incident with Blaney is just another example of unnecessary problems way too early in a race.
