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Sprint Cup
CUP: Kyle Busch – I’m Not A Dirty Racer
Kyle Busch confronted Todd Bodine after the Kentucky NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race...
Kyle Busch needs to rebound at Auto Club Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Kyle Busch wasn’t shy about telling race winner Todd Bodine how he felt after Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway. Busch marched – with purpose – into victory lane to do some active finger-pointing and arguing with Bodine.
On Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, after hitching a ride home from Kentucky on the Bodine team plane (Bodine wasn’t on board), Busch wasn’t ready to distance himself from the post-race move he made Friday night.
Oddly enough, the on-track encounter with Busch that produced the controversy played a big role in dropping the victory in the hands of Bodine, who is running away with the Truck series championship. As Busch passed Bodine, Bodine’s truck went into a spin and rolled off the racing surface. The rest of the field drove by, and Bodine was forced to pit.
The unexpected pit stop put Bodine in position to outlast the other leaders on fuel load, however, opening the door to victory. After the race, in public comments, Bodine accused Busch of “dirty” driving while passing him, a charge that angered the younger driver.
Busch bounced into victory lane to challenge Bodine.
“I don’t feel like I’m a dirty racer,” Busch said Saturday. “I feel like I’m a hard racer and an aggressive one. I wouldn’t call it dirty. Dirty is when you run into the back of somebody down the back straightaway and put them in the fence.”
Busch said he heard Bodine’s post-race comments on television and decided to confront him.
“I was in the hauler changing and saw him spout his mouth off on TV and went straight over there and confronted him right then and there,” Busch said. “I had to go, so when was I going to do it? I didn’t have to go to the media center, so I didn’t have a chance to battle there. I don’t need to battle in the media. I’ll just beat him on the racetrack.”
Similarly, Bodine defended his position.
“It’s two drivers who didn’t care what the other said or the other did, and we had words about it,” Bodine said. “That’s good, hard racing. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Kyle. Slowly but surely, I’m losing it. That’s a shame.
“It’s not just the Truck Series. It’s every division he races. He’s so good. He’s without a doubt one of the best drivers NASCAR has ever seen. He doesn’t have to drive like that to win races, but he does, and he’s getting away with it because NASCAR won’t do anything about it. He was mad because I called him out on it.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
On Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, after hitching a ride home from Kentucky on the Bodine team plane (Bodine wasn’t on board), Busch wasn’t ready to distance himself from the post-race move he made Friday night.
Oddly enough, the on-track encounter with Busch that produced the controversy played a big role in dropping the victory in the hands of Bodine, who is running away with the Truck series championship. As Busch passed Bodine, Bodine’s truck went into a spin and rolled off the racing surface. The rest of the field drove by, and Bodine was forced to pit.
The unexpected pit stop put Bodine in position to outlast the other leaders on fuel load, however, opening the door to victory. After the race, in public comments, Bodine accused Busch of “dirty” driving while passing him, a charge that angered the younger driver.
Busch bounced into victory lane to challenge Bodine.
“I don’t feel like I’m a dirty racer,” Busch said Saturday. “I feel like I’m a hard racer and an aggressive one. I wouldn’t call it dirty. Dirty is when you run into the back of somebody down the back straightaway and put them in the fence.”
Busch said he heard Bodine’s post-race comments on television and decided to confront him.
VIDEO: Last Lap Trucks - Kentucky Todd Bodine and Kyle Busch argue after the race. (Image: SPEED)
“I was in the hauler changing and saw him spout his mouth off on TV and went straight over there and confronted him right then and there,” Busch said. “I had to go, so when was I going to do it? I didn’t have to go to the media center, so I didn’t have a chance to battle there. I don’t need to battle in the media. I’ll just beat him on the racetrack.”
Similarly, Bodine defended his position.
“It’s two drivers who didn’t care what the other said or the other did, and we had words about it,” Bodine said. “That’s good, hard racing. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Kyle. Slowly but surely, I’m losing it. That’s a shame.
“It’s not just the Truck Series. It’s every division he races. He’s so good. He’s without a doubt one of the best drivers NASCAR has ever seen. He doesn’t have to drive like that to win races, but he does, and he’s getting away with it because NASCAR won’t do anything about it. He was mad because I called him out on it.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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