Kyle Busch is of the opinion that the current NASCAR drivers don’t have the etiquette that used to bind drivers before.
The two-time Cup Series champion was speaking in light of the recent controversy involving Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver intentionally clashed with Chastain at Phoenix and later admitted to doing so. This resulted in Hamlin getting a $50,000 fine and 25 points deduction.
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Busch feels that the etiquette that former NASCAR drivers used to abide by is lost in the current generation.
“We have completely lost any sense of respect in the garage between the drivers at all,” Busch said. “That’s where the problem lies. Nobody gives two sh*ts about anybody else.
“It’s just a problem where everybody takes advantage of everybody as much as they can. We’re all selfish, granted. But there was an etiquette that once did live here.
“Mark (Martin) started it. Tony (Stewart) lived by it. I think Jeff (Gordon) lived by it. Bobby Labonte, Rusty (Wallace) for the most part, Dale Jarrett, for sure. It did exist. That’s gone.”
Busch also said that he tried talking to the drivers but failed to get his point across to them. Busch also gave his opinion on the Hamlin-Chastain incident.
“Drivers to be ethical and take responsibility for their action and race and race hard.
“If you make a mistake, OK fine, I get it. When you intentionally drive over somebody because they made a move on you or something you didn’t like, then you get punched in the face afterward.”
With the intensity of the sports, mistakes are common in NASCAR and it leads to rivalries. However, retaliating openly doesn’t help towards healthy competition. It not only affects one rival but could also affect other drivers not involved. Hamlin tried the honest way of admitting but then if what he did in the first place was wrong, honesty is of no use.
All hail king kyle