Busch has no regrets about radio chatter, wants to move on from incident with teammate Hamlin

Busch makes peace with teammate Hamlin after wreck

CONCORD, N.C. — Just as Kyle Busch settled into a chair in the media center Thursday, someone dropped a package in front of him.

Not coincidentally, it was a FedEx box. That’s Denny Hamlin’s sponsor. Busch smiled, opened it up and found a pair of boxing gloves inside.

Busch initially shrugged off the Charlotte Motor Speedway gag that came five days after his on-track altercation with Hamlin in the All-Star race, but then sounded like he might consider going a round or two with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

Although Busch insisted he and Hamlin have moved on from last weekend’s incident, he didn’t back down from radio chatter in which he threatened to kill Hamlin.

Any regrets?

“Absolutely not,” Busch said. “It was the heat of the moment and that’s who I am and that’s my expression and I am not going to be sorry for what I say. It’s freedom of speech.

“I was frustrated. … It was a saying that is said a lot, and take it for what it’s worth. … It wasn’t joking, but it wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t meant (like I was going to kill him). With what? With my great looks?”

Busch sure looked intent on doing some damage Saturday night.

Busch attempted to pass Hamlin for the lead with 10 laps to go in the non-points race, but Hamlin blocked him high and forced him into the wall.

A few laps later, Busch blew a tire and crashed. He responded by lashing out at Hamlin, threatening him over his team radio and then confronting him at Hamlin’s hauler after the race.

Team owner Joe Gibbs stepped in and calmed Busch down. Busch ducked reporters afterward, making his media session Thursday his first reaction to the melee.

“Of course I was heated after the incident,” Busch said. “It surprised me and I wouldn’t have expected my teammate to race me that way, but he’s the leader, he’s got the race track and I now understand that.”

Hamlin was scheduled to talk later Thursday.

Busch insisted he will be able to work with Hamlin down the road, beginning with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I feel like we can move on and work together,” Busch said. “A little dissatisfied with his quote about how I would have done the same thing because you can’t put words in a person’s mouth, and I don’t feel like I would have done the same thing. I race with respect and I learned from Mark Martin and those guys.

“I’ve had my bad points, but since learning from Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and those guys, I feel like I’ve gotten better. Even though it is an All-Star race, like I said, I was surprised by the fact that that happened. I wouldn’t have expected it. I don’t think I typically run myself into the fence, so I think it was just due to the nature of the race.”

Four-time Cup series champion Jeff Gordon and fellow Rick Hendrick Motorsports driver Martin weighed in on the dispute Thursday.

Gordon defended Hamlin.

“I think in that type of event, you’ve got to go for it and you’ve got to do everything you can,” Gordon said. “I felt like Denny definitely knew he was coming and was making his car wide and I think that Kyle was pushing the issue a little bit where you can’t expect your teammate just to give you that spot or that space there, certainly not in the All-Star event.

“But if that was 10 laps into the 600, now that’s a different deal. I think both would have handled it different. I don’t think Kyle would put himself in that position and I don’t think Denny would have been giving up the position a lot easier.”

Martin called it a “racing incident.” He also defended Busch, who has had several notable run-ins during his NASCAR career.

“I don’t have an ounce of problem and never have on the race track with Kyle,” Martin said. “He is very aggressive, but he keeps it within his area. He’s never breached my space on the race track. I haven’t had a lot of conversation with Kyle, but he is incredibly respectful although he may have done some things and had some actions that may have turned some people off. He has also done some things and had some actions that are incredibly admirable.”