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Bench Warmer
All is not forgiven in the eyes of Kyle Busch.
Busch said he felt he was "dumped" by Tony Stewart Saturday night at Daytona when the two cars collided as the drivers headed to the finish line of the Coke Zero 400.
Busch was leading when he twice tried to block Stewart by moving up the track. The second time, Busch clipped the front of Stewart's car, causing Busch to crash into the outside wall. Stewart passed him and won the race, while Busch's car was struck twice more by oncoming traffic.
Busch stormed off and did not comment after the race, so Thursday at Chicagoland Speedway was his first chance to field questions about the incident.
Busch didn't directly criticize Stewart at first, but found a way to make his point when asked what NASCAR should do about last-lap crashes at Daytona and Talladega.
"NASCAR can take steps to look at it," Busch said. "If the second-place driver dumps the leader, then black flag his ***. He doesn't get the win. If he's up along side the leader and dumps him, give the third-place car the victory."
Busch then was asked if he considered the bump with Stewart "a dump."
"Yes, it would be considered a dump," he said.
Stewart was apologetic after the race, saying he hates to win that way. Stewart said he called Busch earlier this week and said he and Busch were "on the same page."
Apparently, that's not the case considering Busch's comments Thursday. Busch was asked how he felt after Stewart's call.
"I really don't have feelings," Busch said. "So it really didn't mean a whole lot. I guess he was checking on me to see if I'm alive."
Would Busch do things differently if he could replay the last lap?
"I'd do it the same way I did," he said. "But I don't have it back so it doesn't matter. It's over with and done with. I did everything I could to try to win the race. I didn't."
So what did he learn from the incident?
"If I'm ever second, I normally finish second," Busch said. "Whenever I'm leading, I guess I get wrecked. It seems to me I don't know how to win restrictor-plate races, so you can't ask me that question."
Busch said he felt he was "dumped" by Tony Stewart Saturday night at Daytona when the two cars collided as the drivers headed to the finish line of the Coke Zero 400.
Busch was leading when he twice tried to block Stewart by moving up the track. The second time, Busch clipped the front of Stewart's car, causing Busch to crash into the outside wall. Stewart passed him and won the race, while Busch's car was struck twice more by oncoming traffic.
Busch stormed off and did not comment after the race, so Thursday at Chicagoland Speedway was his first chance to field questions about the incident.
Busch didn't directly criticize Stewart at first, but found a way to make his point when asked what NASCAR should do about last-lap crashes at Daytona and Talladega.
"NASCAR can take steps to look at it," Busch said. "If the second-place driver dumps the leader, then black flag his ***. He doesn't get the win. If he's up along side the leader and dumps him, give the third-place car the victory."
Busch then was asked if he considered the bump with Stewart "a dump."
"Yes, it would be considered a dump," he said.
Stewart was apologetic after the race, saying he hates to win that way. Stewart said he called Busch earlier this week and said he and Busch were "on the same page."
Apparently, that's not the case considering Busch's comments Thursday. Busch was asked how he felt after Stewart's call.
"I really don't have feelings," Busch said. "So it really didn't mean a whole lot. I guess he was checking on me to see if I'm alive."
Would Busch do things differently if he could replay the last lap?
"I'd do it the same way I did," he said. "But I don't have it back so it doesn't matter. It's over with and done with. I did everything I could to try to win the race. I didn't."
So what did he learn from the incident?
"If I'm ever second, I normally finish second," Busch said. "Whenever I'm leading, I guess I get wrecked. It seems to me I don't know how to win restrictor-plate races, so you can't ask me that question."
