NASCAR has seen many rivalries on and off the racetrack. But one of the most hotly debated feuds is the one between NASCAR heavyweights Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs reach the Richmond Raceway this weekend, two incidents come to mind that seems like they happened just yesterday. The first being the rivalry between Busch and Earnhardt Jr in 2008 at Richmond. The second being the two drivers discussing it 10 years later.
It would be safe to say that Busch and Dale Jr were not the best of friends even before the Richmond 2008 race. The rivalry took shape first in 2007 at Kansas when Earnhardt wrecked Busch in a crucial moment for the championship.
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Then Richmond happened the very next year.
.@DaleJr vs. @KyleBusch.
Two races. Two incidents. Back in 2018, the duo reminisced about their rivalry at @RichmondRaceway on the Dale Jr. Download. #NASCARPlayoffs // @DirtyMoMedia pic.twitter.com/GMWo1Fmw1w
— #NASCARPlayoffs on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 9, 2020
When Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr reminisced their rivalry
Both drivers were in top form coming into the race. They battled for the win with just three laps to go. And that is when Busch wrecked Earnhardt Jr which severely hurt his chance at victory.
“It was a recipe for disaster,” Earnhardt Jr said while in conversation on the ‘Dale Jr Download’ when he and Busch sat down to reminisce the incident. They talked about the incident, its aftermath.
“The one thing that bugged me was when you were in front of a microphone, the things that you would say. You would get out of the car and say, ‘I don’t care. So what you got wrecked’. You had such a chip on your shoulder,” Earnhardt Jr continued, as Busch laughed.
“So did you know in the moment, though, when the wreck happened and you had a chance to see it that it wasn’t purposeful?” Busch asked Earnhardt Jr The reply was, “Yeah“.
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Earnhardt Jr’s revenge story
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Earnhardt Jr, however, did not take it lightly. He got his revenge later that year at the same track. He hit Busch and sent him for a spin during the race.
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“I was under a lot of pressure from my fans to do something. I felt in my heart if I don’t get him back, everybody’s going to look at me as this guy who gets wrecked and don’t do sh**,” Earnhardt Jr said about the second incident.
Both men said that their rivalry bothered them for a long time. However, they were ready to ‘bury the hatchet’ years after it all, admitting they should have done it a long time ago.