CUP: Johnson, Kurt Busch OK/Brickyard Notes

Sprint Cup

CUP: Johnson, Kurt Busch OK/Brickyard Notes

Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson have had two on-track incidents recently...

Tom Jensen | Posted July 24, 2009 Indianapolis, IN

Jimmie Johnson has said he has no problems with Kurt Busch after some on track contact recently. (Photo: Getty Images)

BURYING THE HATCHET Despite some testy on-track incidents in recent weeks, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch said Friday they’re cool with each other. Johnson got sideways and tagged Busch last month at Infineon Raceway, and the two had contact again two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway, when Johnson bumped Busch and Busch retaliated with a couple of hard shots to the door. But Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, both men insisted it was no big deal.

“I sent him a text and tried to reach out to him after the (Chicago) race and haven’t heard back,” Johnson shrugged. “I guess we’ll see each other in the garage area.”

“I’ll find him in the garage today,” Busch seconded. “I felt like Chicago was definitely a heat of the moment type of situation where it wasn’t that big of a deal. To see everybody bombard us after we finished 17th, then I guess it was an issue. So we’ll work on it, shake hands and laugh about it. I don’t think that it’s that big of a deal to where we don’t even need to worry about it.”

Asked if he thought it would carry forward, Busch said, “No, not at all.”

Johnson said he learned about dealing with such situations early in his career. “I’m kind of out of the ordinary,” said Johnson. “Even if I’m right or wrong or whatever it may be I’d always find whoever it is and explain myself if it was intentional or not. Who taught me this lesson was Jeff Burton (in) my sophomore season. He ran all over me and I was mad and the guys were mad and he walked in my truck and passed all my crew guys and didn’t apologize but said, ‘Look, man, I meant to knock you out of the way. Just wanted to tell you as a man I meant to do that.’ And I thought that took a lot of balls and it was really respectful in a weird way to do that. So I’ve always reached out to people and it didn’t surprise me that I didn’t hear anything back. I’m sure at some point we’ll talk.”

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Tom Jensen

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