Kyle Busch took matters into his own hands, quite literally.
Rowdy sprained his left wrist on Lap 159 of the Brickyard 400, and while there was no need for surgery, the 39-year-old was seen wearing a brace during his vacation in Italy. Busch found himself in unfamiliar territory at Richmond Raceway, as he was not just battling to avoid missing out on the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, but his nagging injury prompted him to do something bizarre.
In a move reminiscent of Dale Earnhardt cleaning his windshield at Richmond Raceway in 1986, Kyle Busch was seen cutting off his brace with scissors on the same track. To avoid a similar situation in Michigan, the Richard Childress Racing driver has been forced to get a much-needed medical upgrade.
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Hoping not to repeat the scissor maneuver
Having gone 44 races without a win, the longest of his career so far, Kyle Busch could miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Back in the day, he was knocked out by Jeff Gordan in the regular series finale at Richmond, but there has been no looking back since. However, desperate times are calling for desperate measures, as only three races remain before playoffs begin in Atlanta. This meant that when he felt his wrist brace was too tight during the second stage at the Cook Out 400, Kyle Busch rectified the problem on the track.
Rowdy drove down the pit road and was handed scissors by one of his crew, which he used to cut the hand wrap underneath his gloves while driving under caution. Speaking to Bob Pockrass about the incident, Busch said, “We wrapped it too tight. It was too tight so it started to swell up. You could feel it pulsing through your hands, so had to loosen it up and give it some room to breathe a little bit. We made a new brace, I got a real brace for it, so it’s too much right now. I practiced with it, it was too much so it got uncomfortable, so I got to start cutting on it. Trying to get it to where it could help and not hurt.” The Fox Sports journalist jokingly asked, “Got a better pair of scissors?” to which Busch replied, “Hopefully, I don’t need to cut on this one, so that’s the purpose of this.”
Kyle Busch said the wrap last week was too tight and he is working with a new brace on his injured left wrist this weekend. He is hopeful he isn’t going to need any scissors this week to cut it off during the race. pic.twitter.com/nJazvYF6uL
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 17, 2024
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Kyle Busch's wrist injury—Does this show his true grit or is it a sign to slow down?
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Despite his injury at Richmond, Busch managed to finish the race in 12th place, the same position in which he started. His season has been one to forget, as Rowdy is currently ranked 18th in the driver standings, with two top-five and six top-ten results so far. With three races to go at Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington, the Richard Childress Racing driver will hope to pull off a miracle before the postseason begins, perhaps replicating the form his teammate Austin Dillon showed after controversially winning at Richmond Raceway.
With a new brace, Kyle Busch will hope for a better showing at Michigan International Speedway. It’s a track that Rowdy has struggled at in the last few years, having finished no higher than 36th place since 2022.
However, with Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy showing lightning-fast pace at the Federated Auto Parts 400, the tables could turn very quickly in Richard Childress Racing’s favor. Showing a sense of unity in the team’s camp, Busch defended his teammate Austin Dillon after the controversial incidents surrounding the final lap at Richmond.
Why did Kyle Busch fire shots at Joey Logano?
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Austin Dillon’s overly aggressive driving in the final lap of Richmond Raceway brought about plenty of criticism. Not only was the 34-year-old docked 25 points, but he was also stripped of his playoff eligibility after wrecking Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano before securing his maiden victory.
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After the race, Logano, who was forced to settle for 19th place, called Dillon’s driving “chickens**t”, criticizing the way the Richard Childress Racing driver had approached the final turns of the race. However, Kyle Busch came in defense of his teammate, chiming in that Joey Logano’s views were somewhat hypocritical.
Speaking to FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass in Michigan, Busch said, “Certainly there’s the right way to win races and the wrong way to win races. There’s a lot of guys that have done some desperate things to get wins even when they’re not desperate. The one that had it happen to him is probably the one that’s done it the most and doesn’t need to do it. I guess his comments he can be calling himself that.” The 39-year-old went on to say, “Be mindful of what you do, I guess. It’s always going to come back on you. YouTube is there for… not all positives.”
Richard Childress Racing certainly feels hard done by after NASCAR’s verdict. While they plan to appeal the sanctioning body’s verdict, the team has a point to prove at Michigan International Speedway. Won’t it be poetic if either Kyle Busch or Austin Dillon manage to secure a victory at FireKeepers Casino 400?
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It will undoubtedly shut down all the criticism the team has been subjected to all season while securing a playoff spot for at least one of their drivers. If either one of their drivers can replicate the pace Dillon showed at Richmond, they are in with a chance.
Do you think Kyle Busch could secure a victory before the playoffs begin? Let us know in the comments!
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Kyle Busch's wrist injury—Does this show his true grit or is it a sign to slow down?