Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chandler Smith was angry with his teammate John Hunter Nemechek calling him out after the Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Smith, who was leading the pack at the white flag, got passed by teammate Corey Heim coming into turn 1.
Corey Heim was pushed by fellow KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek, who Smith claims did not work well with him all day as agreed upon between team members in a meeting with the three drivers before the race.
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“I just don’t understand the thinking and the process behind it,” Smith said of Nemechek’s last lap move. “We all had a meeting before the race, work together just like we did in Vegas. We didn’t even relatively try to do that today. It’s just really irritating because I’m big believer on we [have to] do that, we [have to] do that. It comes to a point where I keep getting screwed over and is it worth it? I just need to look out for our group right now.”
“All day, I mean, we go with a mindset — it’s speedway racing, is it not? Went with the mindset of we have to stick with teammates, teammates are going to win this race. Yada, yada, yada. I was the only KBM teammate today,” Smith seared. “Corey helped me one time, but any other time we never helped each other, if anything, we screwed each other. I’m the only one that really helped and I’m not saying that to toot my own horn, I’m just being real.”
Nemechek was two laps down when he pushed Heim to the victory, which has Smith questioning over whether why a lapped car involved in the finish.
“A lapped truck just shoved the guy out that won the race, and then blocked everybody else that had a run. I get it, we’re teammates, you’re trying to help him out, but you fucked your other teammate.”
“The restart where I pushed Corey to the lead, when he went to the bottom, I followed him. [Nemechek] could have went with me. We would have had three KBM trucks on the bottom,” Smith explained. “If it was Kyle [Busch], he would have done it.”
Geez, quit whining. You have wins, this was his first. You’re full time, he’s part time. You both wanted to win at your home track. I would speculate that is what JH was thinking also, help Corey get his first win, he helped his teammate as per team orders. So be a man and quit crying about it, congratulate your teammate and move on.
Chandler running for a championship dumb ass he should’ve got the help!