The Darlington duel, while not littered with metal mayhem like Daytona, certainly had sparks flying. Even though the first race of the playoff season witnessed its first yellow flag due to lights going AWOL in turns 3 and 4, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s voice from the booth that had ears perked up, especially after a dicey dance on pit road.
Dale Jr., who typically has a silver tongue, had a rare slip of the tongue during his commentary. It seems he got his wires crossed; he swapped one driver’s name for another, and NASCAR aficionados were quick to cry foul.
Was Dale Earnhardt Jr. shocked to witness fiery work at the pit stop leading to a terrible mistake?
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At the Daytona International Speedway, amid the chaos and crashes, it was Brad Keselowski‘s eyebrow-raising stunt during the red caution flag that stole the show. Making waves by daringly pulling a maneuver during the red flag, a no-no in the rulebook, Keselowski was the talk of the town.
But as the spotlight was about to settle on him, along came his teammate, Chris Buescher, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., with his commentary, threw a curveball. When the lights went haywire at turns 3 and 4, prompting a caution on lap 189, it looked like Buescher took matters into his own hands, or rather, wheels. On lap 192, no sooner had his crew finished with his tires than his car’s tail caught fire, lighting up the track.
A flabbergasted Dale Earnhardt Jr., watching from on high, got his wires crossed and mistakenly called Chris Buescher “Busch,” noting, “It’s for Busch (Kyle Busch). And his team have a big surprise; what a fire ride there.”
FIRE!
Chris Buescher with a fiery pit stop. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/fPjRjbOtau
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 4, 2023
Between Keselowski’s fiery flair at Daytona and Buescher’s sizzling stint at Darlington, it appears Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing is in a hot spot. But Dale Jr.’s mix-up, possibly due to the close ring of the surnames, didn’t escape the eagle eyes of NASCAR enthusiasts, who roasted him mercilessly for the gaffe.
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Fans mocked Junior for a non-deliberate mistake during the commentary
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NASCAR fans have ears like hawks, hanging on every word commentators and racers drop during the heat of the race. One foot in the mouth, and you could be the talk of the town for who knows how long. Case in point: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fumble, swapping Chris Buescher’s name for “Busch”.
While some fans took a playful jab at the RFK team’s repeating misfortunes, hinting at Deja vu for RFK by commenting, “seems to be a common occurrence for RFK,” “Well, he’s definitely fired up. 😉,” a lion’s share couldn’t resist poking fun at Dale Jr.’s faux pas. Here’s a peek at the fans’ reactions:
“”Christopher Busch” 🎙️”
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“As @DaleJr said “Chris Busch” … same thing 😂 I guess the wall and the fire has Dale flustered today!”
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“Did he call him “Christopher Busch”?!”
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“Christopher Buesch”
Now, live commentary is no walk in the park, and everyone’s prone to a slip now and then. Given that Dale Jr. has his own podcast, fans might hold him to a higher standard, but at the end of the day, he’s only human. What’s your take—is giving him the third-degree roast all in good fun or a step too far?