"I’d offer him money to fix it" - When Kyle Busch responded to Richard Childress’ actions as NASCAR handed down suspension

Although Richard Childress and Kyle Busch are close friends now, it wasn't always the same between the two. The duo had one of the most controversial run-ins after a Truck Series race at Kansas in the 2011 season.

The incident occurred after a controversial move on track by Busch during the 2011 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 race at Kansas Speedway. The then-Joe Gibbs Racing driver bumped Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter during the cooldown lap. This led to a rage-fuelled confrontation between the Las Vegas-born racer and RCR owner that involved the latter head-locking and punching the former.

As a result of this aggressive and unsportsmanlike move, Childress was handed a hefty fine of $150,000 by NASCAR and was placed on probation for the remainder of the 2011 season. A week later, Childress took responsibility for his actions. Busch shared his reaction to the incident a week later at Pocono Raceway during a media interaction.

"What brought it up, I guess, you know, me giving a congratulatory bump to Joey Coulter is what tipped him over the edge there. You know, I don't recall any time face-to-face conversation where Richard did tell me, if you touch another one of my cars, I'm going to come find you," Kyle Busch commented (3:23 onwards).

"I don't know if it was ever said in the media, but it was never relayed to me. You know, if he came to me and was so upset about it, I would offer him money to fix it. You know, I'm an owner in this sport. I know there's going to be torn up equipment here and there sometimes, whatever," he added (3:42 onwards)

Here's a look at an old video from YouTube, highlighting the entire incident and providing insight from both Childress and Busch:

Fast forward to 2023, Kyle Busch joined Richard Childress Racing. He now drives full-time for RCR in the Cup Series and also acts as a part-time driver for the team in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.

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"I’m numb, I don’t know what to do" - RCR driver Kyle Busch after losing an opportunity at Kansas Speedway

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has had a tough 2024 season. The Richard Childress Racing driver shared his side of the story after missing an opportunity at Kansas Speedway.

Busch, who lost the rear of his #8 Chevrolet from the lead of the race, eventually finished the race in 19th position. He spoke about the incident in a post-race interview.

"Just running ten-tenths all the time. Trying to make up speed and cover the #1 car (Ross Chastain), make sure I could stay ahead of him. And the #14 (Chase Briscoe) turned down the hill in order to get clean air from the guy in front of him. So I went to his outside to plug the hole and just, air. For some reason, just felt nothing off the corner and hadn’t really had that like that the whole time," Kyle Busch said to NBC Sports.

“I’m numb, I don’t know what to do,” he added, expressing his feelings on losing a winning oppurtunity.

As of now, Busch is placed 20th in the drivers' standings with ten top-10s and five top-5 finishes in 34 races. This happens to be the first winless Cup Series season for the Las Vegas-based racer since his debut in 2004.