Chaotic All Star Payback Backfires for Kyle Busch as Livid Fans Hand Back Lost ‘Villain’ Tag

“He wiped out half the field and I’m pretty sure there would be a pretty busy Monday for him but there wasn’t, so apparently he just doesn’t care.” That’s what Kyle Busch had to say nearly five years ago at Daytona after Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s late-race maneuvers cost Rowdy the win. Back then, Stenhouse Jr had retorted by stating, “If he wants to keep running his mouth, he can come over and do it to me.”

Fast-forward to this year’s NASCAR All-Star weekend, and that’s exactly what Kyle Busch did, only two laps into the $1 million race. With tensions boiling over, did Rowdy finally get his revenge for the 2018 debacle?

Tensions boil over at the All-Star Race after Kyle Busch wrecks Ricky Stenhouse Jr

As some of NASCAR’s fastest drivers lined up at North Wilkesboro for the All-Star Race, Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr didn’t have the best qualifying spots. After the heat races were canceled owing to the intense weather conditions, Busch and Stenhouse Jr would start on the 14th and 16th, respectively. For what is essentially a 200-lap short race, this meant both drivers would need to be aggressive from the get-go to stand a shot at the cash prize.

That being said, Stenhouse Jr was a little too eager from the very beginning. The #47 Camaro driver threw his car into a three-wide battle with Busch and Chase Elliott, but what followed was highly unexpected by both fans and Stenhouse Jr. As Rowdy made way for Stenhouse Jr to fit in, the #8 RCR driver drifted toward the wall a little too far. Hitting the wall with enough force to throw him off, Busch conceded to Stenhouse Jr on track.

But that didn’t last for long. In a move that screamed “vengeance,” Busch tapped Stenhouse Jr’s bumper repeatedly until the latter spun out, ending his race completely. This naturally left Stenhouse Jr fuming, as he retaliated by parking his #47 Camaro in the #8 RCR pit box and sharing a few words with Rowdy’s crew chief.

Stenhouse Jr reflected in the pit lane, “We passed him, he left the middle open there. You know, short race, you’re trying to get all you can get, we passed them and I guess he was mad so, parked my car in the pit box, I figured he would do something like that so maybe Richard would hold my watch after the race.”

Referencing the time when Richard Childress asked his grandson Austin Dillon to hold his watch so that he could punch Kyle Busch, Stenhouse Jr made it evident that Rowdy needed to prepare for what was to come in the pit lane post-race. That being said, the #47 JT Daugherty driver wasn’t alone in sharing his frustrations with Kyle Busch.

The NASCAR community feels Busch’s antics were ‘uncalled’ for

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With just one move, Kyle Busch reminded every NASCAR fan why he was known as Rowdy. However, many fans felt his move was unwarranted so early into the race. After all, it looked like Stenhouse Jr hadn’t even made contact with #8. Reflecting on this, fans shared their frustrations on X, “Busch should be parked.“.

Other fans also blamed Busch for his lowly qualifying spot, citing it as a reason behind his woes and frustrations: “I mean, it’s Kyle’s fault he’s even back there.” In a move that cost Ricky Stenhouse Jr a shot at $1 million, fans of the JTG Daugherty driver pulled no punches against Rowdy, “Kyle Busch should be parked for this race and possibly the rest of the season with that move” 

For many fans, Busch’s being able to continue in the race just didn’t sit well. With Stenhouse Jr out of the count in only two laps, users felt the same should apply for Rowdy too, “Busch should be black flagged”. That being said, fans sidelined Denny Hamlin to highlight Kyle Busch’s transformation; “Villain”

With the theme of vengeance clearly entangled in Busch and Stenhouse Jr’s alterations, users felt it was now the #47 driver’s turn to flip the script on the #8. One fan shared; “Hope Stenhouse wrecks Busch’s first opportunity next week” while another reaffirmed, “Wow, that was a little uncalled for. Stenhouse was clear from Busch before Busch put him into the wall. No need for such an aggressive reaction🥺”

After looking at Kyle Busch’s run-in with Ricky Stenhouse Jr, do you think their altercation five years ago had an effect on the outcome today?