Kansas Speedway could’ve been Kyle Busch’s saving grace after a torrid 2024 outing with Richard Childress Racing. Rowdy had everything going his way; he had a good car, managed to keep Ross Chastain at arm’s length, and looked set to extend his winning streak in NASCAR to the 20th consecutive year.

But Chase Briscoe from Stewart-Haas Racing had other plans. With 32 laps to go, Kyle Busch was leading the race and looking to break free from the traffic ahead. Briscoe’s #14 Ford, a lap down, was one of the first cars Busch needed to pass. At first, it seemed like Briscoe was ready to give up his spot. Busch, running strong in the top lane, was about to clear him when, at the last second, Briscoe made a sudden decision to hold his position, throwing a wrench into Busch’s strategy.

What happened next?

Instead of letting Kyle Busch slip through the gap, Briscoe made an aggressive block just as the #8 car was about to pass. Busch, seeing the move, could’ve backed off, but determined to push forward, he went for it. In trying to squeeze by, he clipped Briscoe’s rear bumper, which sent his car sliding loose. The #8 Chevy then slammed hard into the wall before skidding across the track, bringing Busch’s race to a crashing halt.

This incident left the fans divided. While a section blamed Kyle Busch for being impatient, a few others raised questions about Briscoe’s intentions.

Fans get involved in the blame game

If there’s one driver that NASCAR fans want to win a race, it is Kyle Busch. Having gone through arguably the worst season of his Cup career, Busch’s only hope to salvage this year was a win in the playoffs. Truth be told, he was within touching distance of making it happen, but Briscoe proved to be a real thorn in his side. Livid with the way, Rowdy’s hope of a race win was shattered. This fan replied, “@ChaseBriscoe_14 YOU IDIOT!!! Did Kyle Busch dirty!!”

2024 has almost been a year where Rowdy has become a punching bag. It started with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s antics at the All-Star race, and then he received similar treatment by his rivals on the racetrack. It’s as if he has lost his edge or the killer instinct to stamp his authority on the racetrack. Urging his favorite driver to come out of this shell, a fan wrote, “I hope Kyle Busch just PUNTS Chase Briscoe…….such a BUM.”

Again, there was an argument to be made that Busch was hasty and impatient to have tried to make that pass. He knew Briscoe would give him a hard time trying not to go a lap down. Moreover, the passage for making a clean pass was just too tight. It was a sort of 50-50 call, but for this race fan, Rowdy certainly pushed well beyond his limits, which led to his detrimental outcome. “I guess I was in a big hurry,” the No. 8 said in the post-race interview.

We have seen instances of Kyle Busch trying to force the issue during the races this season. That too at a time when such aggressive moves could’ve been avoided. With 32 to go, there was enough time to get past the tail-enders. But he tried his luck and had to concede a genuine shot at winning a race this season. According to this fan, the mess was Rowdy’s own making, and Briscoe had no part to play in it. “He took himself out – the 14 never touched the 8 :)”

In initial viewing, it was hard to determine if Chase Briscoe deliberately shut the door on Kyle Busch and threw an aggressive block. In fact, he is one of the few drivers who like to stay out of trouble. But for some reason got involved in a scrap with the RCR star, which ended badly for the 2-time champ. But this race fan wasn’t buying into the argument in defense of Briscoe and hoped that Busch returns this favor soon. “I hope Kyle Busch junks the 14.”

Was Kyle Busch deliberately wrecked by Chase Briscoe, or was it just an unfortunate incident that cost Rowdy his 20th-year win streak?