They say revenge is a dish best served cold. It’s a mantra Kyle Busch took to heart at Bristol Motor Speedway, after being turned by Riley Herbst off Turn 4 and being spun across the frontstretch.
It was a frustrating situation, especially as Erik Jones, Michael McDowell, and Christopher Bell were caught in the crossfire. However, ‘Rowdy’ plotted his retaliation, giving the 23XI Racing driver a taste of his own medicine with four laps to go.
Frustration got the better of Kyle Busch
Busch’s season isn’t going the way he hoped. Hopes were high for the No. 8 team, especially after the veteran racer finished on pole ahead of the Daytona 500. However, results have left much to be desired, as ‘Rowdy’ hasn’t secured a single top-10 finish in the opening eight races. Naturally, his frustration is at an all-time high, and it didn’t help that Herbst spun him at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Starting the race in 29th place, Busch was hoping to steadily gain track positions as the laps ticked on, hoping for a respectable result at Bristol’s 2026 Food City 500.
But everything changed on lap 312, when Herbst leaned into the back bumper of the No. 8 Chevy, shoving Busch out of the way and sending him spinning. Others were also caught up in the incident, but all drivers were able to continue.
What followed was an outburst on the team radio. Busch’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, attempted to calm everyone down and told crew chief Jim Pohlman, “Listen, I know you’re frustrated. I don’t like running 30th either. But us yelling at each other during the race isn’t going to help sh*t. We’ve got to keep the glue folded together here. We’re all still in it, together. It’s not over. We’re only barely halfway through this thing.”
PREDICT THE CHASE: PFSN’s NASCAR Season Simulator
Busch remained quiet throughout the exchange. The incident forced him to go two laps down, languishing in 26th place.
Unsurprisingly, when the chance came to take revenge with 4 laps remaining, the 40-year-old did exactly that. He pushed on the back bumper of Herbst’s No. 35 Toyota Camry, sending him spinning into turn 1.
Herbst, who started the race in 4th place, ended 21st when the checkered flag was waved at Bristol. As for Busch, he finished 4 spots below, at a track where he has eight wins.
No other driver comes close to that number. However, it’s also proof just how far ‘Rowdy’ has fallen off, considering he has no finish higher than 14th in the Next Gen era at the track.
STAY UPDATED: The Side Draft: PFSN’s NASCAR Newsletter
While Busch’s winless streak has now entered the triple digits, all hope is not lost just yet. If history is anything to go by, Cup Series veterans have proven that they can get back to Victory Lane after a lengthy absence. Brad Keselowski ended a 110-race winless streak at Darlington in 2024, while Bill Elliott went 226 races (7 years) between race wins in his career.
But all that matters is the right response. Busch and the No. 8 crew need to get their act together, and fast. His last race win came at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2023, and it’s unlikely that the winless streak will be broken anytime soon.
