Another adrenaline-fueled NASCAR Cup Series race, another DNF for Kyle Busch. And with that were plenty of controversies as NASCAR closed its weekend at Pocono Raceway. The HighPoint.com 400 was packed with action, leaving 13 drivers unable to finish and generating numerous talking points. A major highlight was a dramatic multi-car collision during a restart with 40 laps remaining, involving at least 6 cars and sidelining 4. And as the official media partners of Real American Beer at Pocono, EssentiallySports’ on-ground team had a front-row seat to the chaos.

After the wreck, Harrison Burton, who was caught up in the tangle, spoke exclusively to Bharat Aggarwal. And guess what? Despite the collision, Burton refused to cast blame and stressed the importance of “getting your elbows out” after a series of recent wrecks.

What was the lesson Harrison Burton learned this week?

In the final stage of the Great American Getaway 400, Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet hooked Kyle Busch’s No. 8 Chevy’s rear, forcing him to skid through the infield grass and into the traffic. As a result, Busch made contact with the cars of A.J. Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Ryan Preece, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a major multi-car collision. This had severe consequences, as only Corey LaJoie and A.J. Allmendinger managed to finish the race, while others were forced to retire early.

Speaking about the incident in a post-race exclusive chat with EssentiallySports, Burton was asked if it was time to get his elbows out after being involved in wrecks that were not his fault in the last few weeks. The Wood Brothers Racing driver replied, “Yeah, I mean, it’s always time to get your elbows out, right?” Despite feeling it might be time to retaliate, Burton remained calm, unlike Kyle Busch fans. As LaJoie (intentionally, some may say) added to the RCR driver’s ongoing misery, some fans went as far as to say that Busch should wait for Corey, just as Stenhouse Jr waited for him after the All-Star Race.

Continuing his conversation with Bharat Aggarwal at Pocono Raceway, Burton acknowledged the temptation to give it back but maintained his composure, saying, “Everyone’s going as hard as they can. This week is not really something that, I feel, had anything to do with our ride. Obviously, I don’t think anyone meant to wreck. I saw the wreck just very briefly. I saw someone get spun and washed up. They don’t anticipate to do that, so it’s hard to be mad at them. But it’s just frustrating in general.”

This wasn’t the first time Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang’s run was disrupted. At the Ally 400, Carson Hocevar initiated contact with the 23-year-old during a caution period. The incident occurred on Lap 244 after Brad Keselowski crashed following a clash with Austin Dillon in Turns 1 and 2. As the race approached its final stages with only 58 laps left, the field was slowing down on the backstretch.

Frustrated and driving the Spire Motorsports No. 77, Hocevar repeatedly bumped into the rear of Burton’s car, which was then in P25. This led to a wreck when Hocevar turned Burton’s car to the right, forcing drivers like Todd Gilliland and Austin Cindric to swerve to avoid a larger crash. Hocevar received a $50,000 fine and a deduction of 25 driver points for the incident.

Coming back to Pocono. While the incident began with Corey LaJoie making contact with Kyle Busch, Harrison Burton was quick not to blame either of the drivers despite having his third DNF of the season. The 23-year-old is undoubtedly under pressure to get results, having lost his Wood Brothers Racing seat for 2025 to Josh Berry. With just one top-10 finish all season, Burton’s hopes of remaining in the Cup Series depend on how he fares until the end of the season. However, as he prepares to leave Wood Brothers Racing, his father’s words will serve as a guiding principle.

Jeff Burton encouraged his son to give his all, as he advised Harrison, “At the end of the day, what matters most is that you gave it everything you had.”

With just five races remaining in the regular season, the stakes are higher than ever before if drivers want to make it to the playoffs. Whether through points or a race win, the time to get results is now, which has prompted drivers to race as hard as they can.

As per the on-ground report from EssentiallySports, while Kyle Busch fans were quick to blame Corey LaJoie for making contact with ‘Rowdy’s No. 8 Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie’s crew chief Ryan Sparks defended his driver, stating that Busch got what he deserved. Sparks was heard on his team radio saying, “He hooked himself.”

Kyle Busch simply cannot catch a break

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‘Rowdy’ is currently in the midst of the longest winless streak of his career. His hopes for a playoff spot sank further at Pocono Raceway after Busch’s 32nd-place finish, his 5th DNF in the last 7 races. Busch started the race from the rear after his Richard Childress crew found an oil leak in his No. 8 Chevy.

Entering the race at Pocono 98 points behind the provisional playoff elimination line, Busch is now 102 points behind. When asked about the incident with Corey LaJoie after the race, a frustrated Kyle Busch told Bob Pockrass, “It doesn’t matter what I think.” When the FOX Sports reporter asked if he could see LaJoie making a move for him, ‘Rowdy’ candidly said, “Of course, you have mirrors and cameras and everything else. So you try to get in front of the run that’s coming, and I was trying to get in front of that run, and sometimes, some don’t lift.”

This weekend, Kyle Busch has had to contend with steering issues in practice, an oil leak, and a lack of speed in his No. 8 Chevy. The 39-year-old looks beyond frustrated at his season so far, and it might be wise for himself and Richard Childress Racing to part ways at the end of the season, even though he’s under contract. ‘Rowdy’ has taken all the hits that have come his way this season like a champion, but he needs to be in a situation where he doesn’t have to take them at all.

Do you think Corey LaJoie was at fault for the multi-car collision at Pocono Raceway? Or was Harrison Burton right when he said no one intended the wreck? Let us know in the comments!