Kyle Busch faces backlash from fellow NASCAR driver over his actions: "I’m like What the hell?"

Kyle Busch has once again found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, after a chaotic Cook Out 400 left several NASCAR drivers frustrated with his on-track behavior. The veteran driver, who has struggled to find consistency this season, was called out by fellow competitor Denny Hamlin for an incident that has quickly become one of the race’s biggest talking points.

Denny Hamlin calls out Busch for bizarre move under caution

During his “Actions Detrimental” podcast episode recapping the Cook Out 400, Hamlin revealed that Busch unexpectedly door-slammed him while under caution. The incident left Hamlin bewildered and questioning what Busch was doing at that moment.

“I was going to text him (Kyle Busch) and say, ‘Are you ok?’. It was so weird. We were under caution and I felt, BOOM, I’m like ‘What the hell?’. I guess he was warming his tires up and he just door-slammed the s*** out of me. He’s hitting everything…He just wiped out a few cars and then the 9 was coming by and he clipped him on the way out,” Denny Hamlin said.

Hamlin’s comments reflect the growing frustration among drivers who have been caught up in Busch’s aggressive and sometimes costly moves on the track.

Kyle Busch triggers multi-car wreck involving Elliott and Briscoe

The race at Richmond Raceway turned even more controversial late in Stage 2, when Kyle Busch’s contact with Chase Briscoe set off a chain reaction. His No. 8 car also got into Denny Hamlin’s No. 19, before clipping Chase Elliott and sending him into the wall for his first DNF of the season.

Elliott, who had been having a steady run, was left stunned after being collected in the wreck.

“Obviously, I saw them crashing and we were all just stacking up trying to get stopped and then after the wreck was over, I thought we were done wrecking and was just trying to squeak by. Guess somebody didn’t know I was down there. Kyle just didn’t know I was to the left,” Elliott explained.

A season slipping away for Busch

Busch’s misfortunes didn’t end with the wreck. He was also penalized for speeding on pit road, which put him at the back of the field and a lap down. Adding to his woes, a pit box miscalculation forced him to back up, costing valuable time.

The 40-year-old has now gone more than a year without a Cup Series victory, his last win coming on June 4, 2023. With an average finishing position of 20.75 over the past four races and a playoff spot slipping further out of reach, Kyle Busch’s frustration with the Next Gen car and his declining form is evident.

Meanwhile, his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon delivered a win, securing a playoff berth and highlighting the contrast in fortunes within the same camp.