After the race, he played the role of the martyr.
“Walking down pit road, [when] saying congratulations to Jeff Gordon, I got blown off…I was on the inside lane and Jeff was clear a lap later and could have helped us and gotten three Hendrick cars in a row but chose not to do so. He chose to stay up high and help a Roush car," said Busch.
It was announced a month ago that Kyle Busch would be replaced by Dale Earnhardt Jr at Hendrick Motorsports, an announcement that surprised the 22-year old driver, even though Rick Hendrick said it was a mutual decision. Both Hendrick and Busch have had incompatible stories, which is a display of division within the organization.
After the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, the tension has started to mount within the drivers circle. It has been clear that Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Casey Mears are buddy-buddy, and that Kyle Busch does not seem to fit into their prep-like clique. And even though Kyle Busch has performed at a higher level than Mears, he is no doubt the odd-man out.
Even though the dust has settled just a bit from the Dale Earnhardt Jr announcement, Kyle Busch may be starting to resent the Hendrick Motorsports organization. He is a young and talented driver with the premier organization in NASCAR, and now he must seek out employment with another team that will unlikely be as competitive as his current one; all because the Elvis Pressley of NASCAR was available.
For now, Busch must endeavor to control his emotions and hostility towards Hendrick and the drivers. There are still plenty of laps to be raced before the 2007 season comes to a close, and Busch is right in the thick of the Chase for the Championship, along with his two teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Nevertheless, I have a feeling that once the 2008 NASCAR season rolls around, and Kyle Busch will be sporting his new gear, the gloves will come off.
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have responded to Kyle Busch’s post-race rant.
Gordon has convinced himself that he still supports Busch. "I think he's a great talent…I think that was a little bit of frustration from [Busch]. I think he had such a great car and a shot at wining that race.” He also denied blowing off Busch after the race. “After the race, I was doing an interview, he came by and kind of grabbed me on the shoulder and said, 'Good race' or something, and I gave him the thumbs up.”
Jimmie Johnson envisions potential issues within the team if Busch doesn’t lighten up. “It would be hard to believe that things don't escalate as time goes on, and it doesn't become more difficult for this whole teammate situation to exist."
