Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s fight following the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro is the talk of the NASCAR world, but, it’s not the first time Busch has found himself in the eye of the storm. Busch has had numerous rivalries with some of the sports’ biggest names throughout his career. These are the biggest dust-ups Kyle Busch has had with other competitors.
Kyle Busch got off to a difficult start in 2017, finishing 38th at Daytona and 16th at Atlanta, but, Las Vegas looked to be a turnaround. He was easily in contention to nab a top-5 finish before making contact with Joey Logano trying to pass a slow Brad Keselowski on the final lap. Logano got loose on the bottom and spun Busch out, and Busch finished a disappointing 22nd.
Busch confronted Logano after the race and, without exchanging any words, punched Logano in the face. After the two were separated, Busch spoke to Fox Sports, saying he got “Dumped” and, “That’s how Joey [Logano] races.”
Then teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin fought for the lead late in the 2010 All-Star Race. When Busch tried to squeeze around the outside, Hamlin drifted up, and Busch hit the outside wall. Busch later wrecked out of the race entirely with two laps to go.
While there was no physical confrontation between the two caught on camera, Busch was seen walking into Hamlin’s hauler after crashing. Busch said over the radio, “Someone better keep me away from Denny Hamlin after this race…I had this race won! It was won!” One can only imagine how a run-in between Busch and Hamlin would go over today.
One year later, Kyle Busch once again found himself at odds with a future Hall of Famer. With 5 laps to go in the Southern 500, Busch and Kevin Harvick made contact while going three-wide off of turn four, causing an innocent Clint Bowyer to crash. Despite the two getting through unscathed, Busch proceeded to right-hook Harvick into the outside wall after the caution came out, a move Busch was surprisingly not penalized for.
After the checkered flag waved, Harvick hunted down Busch, with Busch trying everything to avoid Harvick. Eventually, Harvick parked his car directly in front of Busch and got out. As Harvick marched towards Busch, Busch accelerated with Harvick punching at the window net, sending Harvick’s car into the pit wall.
After a dominant Denny Hamlin fell out of contention late in the 2008 spring race at Richmond, it became a battle between Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two fought side-by-side until there were 3 laps to go when Busch bobbled and spun Earnhardt Jr. out. This move was part of what catapulted Busch into being NASCAR’s most disliked driver in this era.
The two didn’t meet on camera after the race. However, they would meet again in the fall race at Richmond that same year. Earnhardt Jr. spun Busch out while fighting for the lead just past halfway. Was it intentional?
Easily the most egregious move on this list, Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday were battling for 2nd early in the fall race at Texas in 2011. Hornaday was tied for 3rd in points, only 15 points out heading into this race, while Busch wasn’t even eligible for driver points. After the two made contact and hit the outside wall in turn two, Busch turned Hornaday into the outside wall in turn three.
NASCAR dropped the hammer on Busch the next day by suspending him from the Xfinity Series race on Saturday and the Cup Series race on Sunday. While Busch has had his share of moments since then, this was the big wake-up call. He later grew to be a two-time Cup Series Champion with the most National Touring Series wins of anyone in the modern era.
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Joe Gibbs Racing has added to its lawsuit filed against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, filing to add Spire as a co-defendant, and to prevent Gabehart from continuing his work at Spire.
JGR initiated this lawsuit on February 19, alleging Gabehart, a long-time Crew Chief, most recently for Denny Hamlin, and the team’s now former Competition Director, “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”
That direct competitor, Spire Motorsports, which currently employs Gabehart as their Chief Motorsports Officer, is now a co-defendant in this lawsuit, via an amended complaint filed Tuesday.
Per the latest filing from JGR, which employed Gabehart as Competition Director last season, is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with seven key requests.
Key to these requests is that Gabehardt cease providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for 18 months following his February 9 formal termination from JGR.
JGR also requested that Spire stop accepting Gabehart’s work as per the noncompete obligation of his termination.
The filing also has several requests regarding the team information Gabehart allegedly retained from JGR.
These include Gabehart returning this information alongside the devices that store this information and “cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”
From JGR’s filing:
c. Gabehart immediately cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
d. Gabehart return any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in his possession to JGR;
e. Gabehart transfer to the custody of JGR’s counsel any device used to store the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and, through an agreed upon Court ordered process, allow the forensic preservation and review of these devices for identification of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, the return of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to JGR, and the removal of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets from the devices;
f. Gabehart cease and desist from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to third parties;
As of press time, Gabehart has commented on the lawsuit in a post to X on February 20, where he claimed a third-party investigator “examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.”
What’s Happening? Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart, alleging he took confidential team information…
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The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an active NASCAR Cup Series driver could be in line to drive for Legacy Motor Club in 2027.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is well underway, while teams and drivers are still settling into their new lineups and seats, others are already prepping for next season.
Most expect the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season to be one of the wildest in years, with many major names on contract seasons, and top seats looking for new drivers.
One story that will likely carry through the 2026 season, and into the offseason, is Legacy Motor Club, which is expanding to three full-time cars in 2027 via the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, which is currently leased to RFK Racing for their No. 60 entry.
While many storylines could stem from this transaction, one that is already playing out is LMC’s driver search, as the team looks to add a new face to their roster alongside drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Though we are nearly a year away from what would be the first race for this third car, per recent rumors, a few names are already emerging as top candidates.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
Monday afternoon, a post from a well-known NASCAR rumor account made the rounds on social media, naming two drivers as possible options for LMC.
In their post, the user claimed that 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst and Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love were “early contenders” for the ride.
Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if they are possible candidates, things can change. However, both of these options come with their own storylines and questions.
The first thing that likely comes to mind when hearing this rumor is that both of these drivers would have to depart their current spots, something that most have suspected will happen by next season.
For Herbst, he is facing the impending promotion of top NASCAR prospect Corey Heim to full-time competition.
This year, Heim, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, is racing part-time with 23XI Racing, with almost every rumor and blurb suggesting next year will be his first full-time season in NASCAR’s highest level.
While 2026 Daytona 500 Champion Tyler Reddick is reportedly on a contract season, most see Herbst as the clear weak link at 23XI, though, in the somewhat unlikely event Reddick were to jump ship, there could be a world where a spot opens for Heim without affecting Herbst.
Regarding Love, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion is in his third full-time year with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and, for some time now, has been rumored to be looking for a promotion, beyond his part-time Cup Series schedule.
This is not the first time Love and LMC have been tied together in the rumor mill, as in June 2025, when LMC was in the midst of a lawsuit to get their third charter by this season (something that never came to be), a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested there could be interest in Love as that third driver at LMC.
As of right now, Love has yet to score a full-time Cup Series ride. But there is a chance a slot opens in-house as RCR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is on a contract year, a situation that could leave Love with a difficult decision between staying in a familiar spot or returning ot the Toyota camp.
But the biggest decision could come down to RCR, which, in the event Busch excels this year, could face deciding between a NASCAR legend and keeping their best prospect in some time.
Nonetheless, all of this is hypothetical, as the gears are just now turning on what could be a NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season for the ages.
What’s Happening? Some recent developments in NASCAR Silly Season rumors and reports have some NASCAR fans wondering if Spire Motorsports could…
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Denny Hamlin fires off on Carson Hocevar, Sheldon Creed finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough, and 13-year-old Keelan Harvick makes a massive career move. From sharp words on a podcast to a feel-good victory and a headline-grabbing development deal, this episode covers three very different stories that could all have long-term ripple effects.
There’s controversy, redemption, and a glimpse at the next generation all wrapped into one packed show. Some reputations are being tested, others are being rebuilt, and one young driver may have just taken the first major step toward the Cup Series.
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