“Have I ever wrecked you?.. It’s f—— coming.” These aggressive words came out of Kyle Busch’s mouth during NASCAR’s 2024 visit to the Circuit of The Americas. Christopher Bell spun out Busch’s No. 8 Chevy with a light nudge, ending the latter’s race. With Busch’s ensuing rage, it looked like a solid retribution was forthcoming. But a whole year passed by, and it did not come. And with the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Busch has calmed down even more about his rival.

Kyle Busch shaves off any blame from Bell

Kyle Busch was a force to reckon with at COTA this Sunday. Starting from the 8th place, he first took the lead from road course ringer Shane van Gisbergen himself on lap 27. The battle with the Kiwi speedster ensued for some time, and Busch emerged victorious. Overall, Busch led for a race-high 42 laps. In the end, however, Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota appeared as his competitor. On lap 90, the two cars slightly collided, and Bell cleared Busch into Turn 1 and took the lead.

Even as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver went on to clinch the victory, his rival was not miffed. Kyle Busch showed exemplary calm in the post-race interview even after washing up in 5th place. He talked about the fender-rubbing: “The contact we made with the 20 there between 2 and 3 bent the right rear. And it was a completely different race car after that.” Busch also put it on the caution flag for his distress: “I also hated to see that yellow that came out… It had a little bit of a gap there… I was protecting my tires, I could run all the lines I wanted to run. I didn’t run defensive lines and used up my stuff even more.”

Busch’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon was spun out by Denny Hamlin while Busch had a 2 second lead in the race, and that caution changed everything. Busch did not have the tires to compete with the likes of Bell and William Byron, which ultimately led to him slipping down to a 5th-place finish. However, Busch maintained respect towards Bell after the race.

Kyle Busch hailed Christopher Bell’s racing, aspiring to be like him. “I wish we had a little bit more at the end. I feel like maybe the two-lap pressure tires that the 20 had made the difference. All things considered, I’d love to have equal tires to the 20.” He continued his speech of appreciation, humbly taking the blame for himself. This marked a complete reversal of attitude from last year. “I’ll give Christopher credit… He ran really hard and I was a complete b—head. He did a great job working me over and just doing it the right way… So congrats to him, congrats to the 20 bunch. But I wish it was us.”

Christopher Bell also admitted to wanting to stay clear of Busch, with memories of 2024 creeping into his head as the laps dwindled. “Whenever Kyle was leading, I was just trying to be so cautious. Obviously, we know what happened last year, I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted to pass him clean,” Bell said.

So, time heals all conflict and wounds. Both Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell put on a great and exciting show for us! And while Busch hailed his rival, he heaped praises on his team as well.

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The No. 8 team is looking sharp

Last season, Kyle Busch was on a misery ride, having faced 8 DNFs and multiple heartbreaks. Since his Gateway victory in 2023, Rowdy has been on a winless streak. COTA marked the 60th race where circumstances stacked against his visiting Victory Lane. However, something feels new to his 2025 start. The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team has a slew of sponsors behind its back. They include Rebel Bourbon, a brand that sponsored three races for Busch last season. Despite his dire performance, the sponsor renewed its partnership for an amplified schedule in 2025. Even Xfinity Series veteran Kenny Wallace noted how Busch’s chances look good.

The racetrack results may not be visible yet. Yet Kyle Busch’s buoyant expressions show the confidence that he needs to get back to Victory Lane. Hence the driver heaped praises on his team and benefactors who still have faith in him: “Everybody at Rowdy Nation, RCR… The guys did a phenomenal job with the race car to be brought to the racetrack. Not the way I wanted it, but just being able to make as many adjustments as we did there in practice and qualifying… Can’t say enough about Randall and all the guys…Rebel Bourbon, Chevrolet, and Zone.” 

Kyle Busch clinched his first top-five of the year, paving the way for more success. Here’s to Rowdy finally visiting Victory Lane very soon!