Kyle Busch expressed his controversial opinion about Dale Earnhardt Jr. serving as a crew chief this weekend, emphasizing that suspending crew chiefs seems pointless given modern communication tools. The 40-year-old driver clarified he wasn’t targeting Dale Jr. personally but critiqued the crew chief suspension rules in NASCAR.

In a pre-race interview at Pocono Raceway, Busch said Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s presence atop the pit box was largely symbolic, describing him as “just a warm body.” He pointed out that suspended crew chiefs are still able to stay in contact with their teams both on and off the track. Busch labeled the arrangement at JR Motorsports around Dale Jr. as a publicity-driven move rather than a functional crew chief role.

“This has nothing to do with any animosity towards Dale Jr. I’m referencing how silly the suspensions for cc (crew chief) are these days with all the technology they have to stay in contact with their teams. I’d say the same thing if JG (likely Jeff Gordon) went on an HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) box as a cc.” —Kyle Busch, NASCAR Driver

Despite past on-track conflicts, notably from the late 2000s when Dale Jr. replaced Busch at Hendrick Motorsports forcing Busch to join Joe Gibbs Racing, the two maintain a respectful relationship today. Busch is now in his 21st full-time NASCAR Cup Series season, while Dale Jr. retired in 2017 and transitioned into a co-owner role at JR Motorsports, working alongside Rick Hendrick and his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller.

Kyle Busch Takes Responsibility for Early Crash in Mexico City

Busch recently suffered a disappointing finish at NASCAR’s first race in Mexico City. During the event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Busch spun on lap eight, triggering a multi-car crash that included Kyle Larson. The incident forced several drivers off the track early in the race.

After exiting his car, Busch admitted to veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass that the crash was his fault, caused by misjudging his braking.

“I went to the brakes and just ice. Maybe it was a little bit too heavy of a brake spike. Just turned around backwards and spun out backwards. Hate it for all the guys that got involved because it was, obviously, purely my fault. I don’t know what I could have done differently.” —Kyle Busch, NASCAR Driver

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion further explained:

“I broke at the 10 marker. It’s not like I was trying to break at the six. I was in trouble for a good second or two, and then I was like, ‘I am going to nail some people so I better turn around backwards, and at least try to soften the blow.” —Kyle Busch, NASCAR Driver

This early exit has hurt Busch’s hopes of making a return to the playoffs after missing last year’s postseason. Currently outside the top 16 in standings, he is preparing to compete in the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Races and Challenges for Kyle Busch

The upcoming 160-lap race at Pocono Raceway, known as the Tricky Triangle, will be live-streamed on Amazon Prime at 2:00 p.m. ET. This race serves as the final Cup Series event before the In-Season Challenge kicks off at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

With mounting pressure to recover lost ground in the points standings, Busch’s performance at Pocono will be closely watched, especially as he tries to build momentum for a potential playoff push amid the ongoing crew chief controversy involving Dale Earnhardt Jr.