Chris Buescher’s frustrations were quite understandable this past weekend. He had just lost at Kansas and wanted to redeem himself in Darlington. But Tyler Reddick, the 23XI Racing driver, had other plans as he tip-toed Brad Keselowski’s driver off the race. It didn’t just end there either! Buescher went for a face-to-face confrontation with Reddick right at the pit. Although the matters could have escalated, Reddick apologized and it all just fizzled right there. 

What happened after was much more scintillating, because everyone had to say something about the race, the crash, and, more importantly, the harsh behavior of the RFK Racing driver. Reddick’s teammate Bubba Wallace too was asked about his opinion and he unapologetically sided with his teammate. He even gave his reasons. 

The Buescher vs Reddick controversy hit home for Bubba Wallace

At the Richmond race, Bubba Wallace spun out Larson with just two laps remaining as they jockeyed for fourth place. Larson ended up in the infield grass! After which Wallace approached Larson to let him know that it was just an accident — sounds familiar to what happened in Darlington, right?

Meanwhile, when asked about the controversy in Darlington between Reddick and Buescher, Bubba Wallace unapologetically sided with his teammate.

Talking to Frontstretch, the 23XI Racing driver said, “When you’re in a spot to win, we’re going for it. It doesn’t matter if one has 10 wins, they will always go for an 11.” 

To give you some context, this comes after Buescher’s rant to the NASCAR officials. The #17 Ford Mustang driver said. “We don’t have that sticker [NASCAR playoff decal] on my door right now. I need you [officials] to be better. We’ve raced each other for so long just fine.” And Bubba, while talking to Frontstretch, made it clear that although Reddick has won a race and found a spot in playoffs, it doesn’t mean he should back off from battles that take place on the track.

However, the 23XI driver did mention that the way Reddick raced Buescher could change. The race could have been cleaner. But sometimes racing to the win isn’t easy and there are times when contact is made. He said, “You got to figure out how to be better competitors coming out of it to make sure it’s not like a repeat deal.” 

This incident even divided the views of two veteran drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt Jr in his Dirty Mo Media podcast mentioned that Buescher has the right to be mad at this scenario. He said that Buescher going up there to confront Reddick and telling him that he expects better is all fair game, and it’s good to see the RFK Racing driver angry. He also added, “It’s good to see some flair, some real emotion.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick hated the apology by Reddick and thought that it was extreme as everyone does what they have to do to win a race. He said, “I don’t like when these guys go down the road of apologizing so much that it’s just pathetic.” But at the end of the day, the question remains if Buescher’s anger is justified and whether the “I don’t have a sticker” comment and a shove to Reddick was needed. 

Does Buescher’s frustration with Reddick reveal a sense of entitlement?

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Buescher’s frustrations over not making it to victory lane in Darlington seemed over the top for many. So much so that the question of “entitlement” arose, because why will a racer, regardless of whether they made it to the playoff or not give up their win? 

Even Harvick sided on the front that one had to do what he had to do. He said, “I just wish they would apologize and say ‘I have to do what I have to do to try to win the race, it didn’t workout I’m sorry.’ But don’t over apologize please.”

However, given the challenge of winning in NASCAR’s top divisions, Buescher’s frustrations are understandable. Moreover, with the Fords underperforming this season, the guarantee of him getting so close to victory again is slim. Maybe Buescher just needs to buckle up and change strategies after losing two races by a hairsbreadth.

His pace shows that he has potential and can make it to the victory lane. With still a couple of races remaining, Buescher still has opportunities to secure his spot. For now, the fans are enjoying this battle to make it to the playoffs and so are we!