Feuds are as natural a part of NASCAR as the roar of the engines. While the 2024 season saw relatively calm waters, there have been many memorable tussles in the sport over the years. Some have even run into several seasons. One of the most storied rivalries involved Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson — an extended three-year showdown in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
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The rivalry between the two stock car racing aces featured several flashpoints. However, the spectacular crash that ended both their races at the 2010 Pocono ignited passions to another level. As tempers flared in the aftermath of the crash, Brad Keselowski had weighed in with his perspective. Advising Busch, he remarked:
“I ask Kurt how to handle my feuds, so I don’t think he’s going to come asking me. As for advice, I would tell Kurt to make sure the fight is a fight worth fighting. So, fight it honorably, but don’t run away from it. But I think this feud is something that could pop up at any given moment, and it will again.”
The feud between Busch and Johnson started at Sonoma Raceway in 2009. During the road course event, Johnson slightly misjudged a turn and brushed into Kurt’s car, sending him spinning into the outside wall.
Tensions escalated three weeks later in Chicago, when a nudge from Jeff Gordon pushed Johnson into Busch once again. Throughout the race, both drivers aggressively jostled each other’s cars. Busch retaliated later by bodyslamming Johnson on the track. Despite the incident, Johnson managed to secure a P8 finish, while Busch fell to P17.
Johnson owned up to the Sonoma mishap but maintained his innocence in the Chicago flare-up, asserting that it wouldn’t change how he raced Busch going forward.
The animosity reached a boiling point at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2010. After clinching third place during the Food City 500, Busch expressed his frustration as the Hendrick Motorsports star ended winning the race. He stated, “I don’t know. I’d rather lose to any other 41 cars out there than this #48 [Jimmie Johnson’s] car.”
The sentiment continued into the next year, which was filled with on-track scuffles between the two drivers. Johnson’s #48 Chevrolet was frequently found trading paint with Busch’s #2 Dodge.
Further skirmishes between Busch and Johnson
The duo’s Bristol run-in was not the last of the incidents between Busch and Johnson. During a subsequent event in New Hampshire in June 2010, Busch nudged Johnson aside to snatch the lead during the final laps. Johnson didn’t let this slide, returning the favor by tapping Busch’s #2 Penske Racing Dodge, darting underneath him with just two laps remaining to clinch his fifth victory of the season.
The following year, at the 2011 Pocono race, the two were at it again, clashing repeatedly, trading paint on the track. The conflict carried over to Richmond, where Johnson found himself against the wall after Busch, piloting the #22 Dodge that year, clipped his #48 Chevy once again.
Johnson sought vengeance about 50 laps later by spinning Busch out. However, the #48 driver’s attempt to retaliate didn’t go as planned; he overcooked a corner, spun himself out, and slammed into the outside wall. NASCAR penalized Johnson, parking him for several laps as punishment for his aggressive move against Busch.
Looking back at the rivalry today, Busch has to be regarded as the 7-time Cup Series champion’s fiercest rival on the track. He often gave Johnson, the owner of Legacy Motor Club, a run for his money.
While Busch ended up way behind Johnson as far as overall championship trophies are concerned, he certainly did not fall back in terms of racing credentials and sheer aggressiveness.
