Kyle Busch and Riley Herbst do not just share the racetrack. Their ties extend to the same city and even a business connection, with Busch investing in the Herbst family’s dealership operation in Nevada. Busch himself has described it as something close to a family relationship. So when the two made contact at Bristol Motor Speedway last week, it was never going to stay contained on the track.
Herbst, driving the No. 35 Toyota for 23XI Racing, clipped Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet early in the Food City 500, sending the veteran into a spin. Busch waited. On Lap 498, with two laps remaining, he returned the favor, spinning Herbst on the straightaway and triggering the final caution. Over Herbst’s radio, the response was calm but telling: “Well, third time’s the charm, I guess.” NASCAR reviewed both incidents, labeled it short-track racing, and issued no penalties.
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Kyle Busch had four words for it after the race. “Just bonehead moves. Certainly I’m not going to take it.”
Later, in an interview with Frontstretch, Kyle admitted, “Yeah, it’s really weird with Riley because they have a nice family business out there in Nevada, and I’m a part of that family business—being an investor in a couple of the stores.”
“And so it’s real awkward when you can’t get along with the kid who is probably one day going to take over that. And so it’s just bonehead moves—you just keep getting run over, and certainly I’m not gonna take it, so that’s just part of it, I guess.” When asked if he had spoken to anyone about it, his answer was one word. No.
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing, had considerably more to say on his Actions Detrimental podcast. He drew a line between when Herbst made contact and later on when Kyle retaliated. He called the former short-track racing. But for Busch’s move, he straightaway targeted his performance. Busch and the No. 8 team have now gone 100 races without a win, their last victory coming at Gateway in June 2023. “Things are not going well in the Kyle Busch camp,” Hamlin said.
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Busch did not let that pass. Before practice at Kansas this weekend, he told reporters, “I don’t feel like Denny Hamlin even knows what the hell he’s talking about. He can bash me all he wants, and I can certainly make his life hell.”
100 Races and Counting, a Drought for Kyle Busch
The number says more than the back-and-forth. When Busch joined RCR in 2023, he won three of his first 15 races. Since then, the wins have dried up. He missed the playoffs in 2025 for the second straight year, and through the first eight races of 2026, he has yet to record a single top-10 finish.
At Bristol, his own radio told the story. Crew chief Jim Pohlman said, “What is the freakin’ problem now? Why can’t it get in the corner?” Spotter Derek Kneeland stepped in to calm things down: “I know you’re frustrated, but us yelling at each other during the race isn’t going to help. We’ve got to keep the glue together.” Busch’s post-race takeaway was blunt. Same problems, every week, not enough speed.
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The Bristol incident did not happen in isolation. It came against the backdrop of a team stuck searching for answers, while the other side of the garage is thriving. Tyler Reddick, who left RCR for 23XI before the 2024 season, has already won four of the first six races this year. At Kansas, the contrast is sharp. Reddick is on pole, Hamlin qualified second, and Busch is starting 23rd.
Busch has spoken openly about the frustration of being in equipment that no longer matches his ambitions. “Give me a piece I can ride, and we’ll be just fine,” he said recently. The problem is that he has not had that piece in a long time.
His contract with RCR runs out at the end of this season. The garage knows it, the media knows it, and Busch knows it. Hamlin, for his part, has already suggested that if Busch does not land a top-tier seat after RCR, retirement is the next logical step.
For now, Busch is still here, still fighting, still swinging, and still keeping score. With his contract set to expire and top-tier rides limited, every race now feels like a public audition. The fire is still there, but whether it is enough to turn things around or simply the final stretch of a legendary career will be decided on the track.
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