“Keep Your Mouth Shut” – Kyle Petty Critiques Kyle Busch’s Reaction to Denny Hamlin’s Comments
What’s Happening? If not for his recent dip in performance, Kyle Busch would be in the spotlight for very different reasons….
During the closing of the most recent episode of his podcast, Denny Hamlin said he is “rooting” for former teammate Kyle Busch following a rift between the two veterans.
Despite their shared time as big personalities both at Joe Gibbs Racing and in NASCAR, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch have rarely come to blows with one another.
Even after Busch left JGR at the conclusion of the 2022 season, the two remained friends, with Busch even appearing on Hamlin’s podcast Actions Detrimental last season.
This off-track friendship hit a skid this past week, as, during an episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin spoke at length about Busch and the No. 8 team’s struggles on track.
To his credit, this conversation was nothing new, and though Hamlin was honest, that doesn’t mean he was wrong, as Busch has consistently run off pace throughout the early portions of the 2026 season.
Following these comments, Busch, speaking during a media availability ahead of the race weekend at Kansas, snapped back at Hamlin in the classic Kyle Busch was in a now viral video.
While both sides have said their parts in the aftermath of the situation, Hamlin again returned to Busch in the closing moments of the most recent episode of his podcast to tell his former teammate he is “Rooting” for him.
After hearing that Busch and the No. 8 team finished 35th at Kansas, Hamlin said:
“Damn. Son of a gun, there’s not much you can say there. I’m rooting for him. Let’s go eight.” — Denny Hamlin
While Hamlin’s comments last week weren’t particularly controversial, as Busch and Richard Childress Racing continue to struggle week to week, they definitely struck a chord with Busch.
In the past, many may have taken Busch’s side in the debate; however, fans online were split, with most saying that, as hard as it was to accept, Denny was just being honest.
After the race, in which Hamlin came up just short of a win, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty even joined the discussion, saying that Busch’s skin is “a little thin” and “he is doing nothing on the racetrack. If you can’t beat your teammate, keep your mouth shut.”
What’s Happening? If not for his recent dip in performance, Kyle Busch would be in the spotlight for very different reasons….
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