"Certainly hurt us a lot" - Frustrated Kyle Busch blames Kyle Larson's contact for missed opportunity at WWT Raceway

Kyle Busch wasn't happy with the way Kyle Larson raced him yesterday at the World Wide Technology Raceway. The two drivers were racing for the seventh spot on the closing lap of Stage 2 of Sunday's Cup race when they made contact.

Larson was side-drafting Busch around turn 1 when his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet got loose and nudged Kyle Busch's Rebel Chevy. As a result, Larson's number 5 car veered across the racetrack and Busch ran straight into the outward SAFER barrier around turn 2.

Recalling the moment, Kyle Busch told FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass that he was unsure of what an additional point meant to Larson, who is currently second in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings.

"Not sure what that single point was really gonna mean for him," Busch said. "But certainly hurt us a lot because... took that point away as well as the others that we’d get for the stage and then also the rest of the day. So very frustrating."

When asked what he felt was the reason behind the contact, Busch said,

"It looked like he (Kyle Larson) got loose, I guess, down the front straightaway into Turn 1. He was on older tires and trying to get us for a spot."

The Richard Childress Racing driver entered this year's Enjoy Illinois 300 as the reigning race champion and started 10th. Nevertheless, he left the field with a DNF and his fourth finish of 15th or worse in his last 6 starts.

Kyle Busch yet to record a win for Richard Childress Racing this year

This year's race at the Gateway marks Kyle Busch's 36th winless race. The last time he won a Cup Series race was at the Gateway itself back in 2023. It has been a year since then and although Busch has won two races in the Truck Series for Spire Motorsports; he is yet to win his first win this season for Richard Childress Racing.

As reported by FOX Sports, since his last win, Busch has picked up eight top 5s, two of which came this year, and 14 top 10s, five of which came this year. After finishing 25th on Sunday, Busch sits 17th on the Cup Series leaderboard with 348 points.

About his feelings after receiving his first DNF of the season, the two-time Cup Series champion said in the previous interview,

"We can't afford days like that. The Rebel Camaro wasn't what it was last year but it was a top-10 car and we were gonna finish there but not gonna finish at all."

Kyle Busch now eyes the next Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, which will take place on June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The 110-lap feature will air live on FOX, with radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio.