“There Was a Way That You Can Run Clean” – Kyle Busch Uses Denny Hamlin-Kyle Larson Controversy to Call Out “Vicious Cycle” of NASCAR

The Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson controversy has been dragging for a bit since last weekend’s incident between the two at Pocono. Some have deemed Hamlin’s move to be dirty since he forced Larson out wide and didn’t race him respectfully. Meanwhile, others believe such is not the case. Speaking about the incident that transpired between the JGR and HMS drivers, Richard Childress Racing driver, Kyle Busch recently commented on the matter.

Busch explained how there was a “vicious cycle” that has emerged with a new racing style adopted by the younger drivers in the world of NASCAR.

Kyle Busch talks about the vicious cycle in NASCAR with a new racing style

Speaking with Sirius XM Radio, Busch stated, “Could Denny (Hamlin) have done that differently and raced it out and raced to clean? And done a side draft down the backstretch and seeing where everybody kind of positioned into the next turn and the next turn and the next turn after that, sure. There was a way that you can run clean and you can race side by side. But all you’re going to do is draw in the rest of the competition behind you.”

“And everybody is so close that the guys, if you’re stuck side by side, you’re going to allow third place to jump into the picture. They might even just go by the both of you… Now you’re still stuck side by side with that guy and the third-place guys now the leader he’s gone. So it’s just a different dynamic, with the competition being closer and the cars being closer. You have to mess up the guy that you’re racing that you’re around, you have to push him out of the group, you have to tension tight to make him get tight.”

“Then you have to throw a side job on him to get in front of them and take it they’re like there’s all this just, it’s racing. It’s just a different form of racing, I don’t know whether you call it dirty or whether you call it greedy…”

“I’ve been seeing it a lot out of the younger generation, the kids and stuff like that coming up through the race and how they do it in ARCA. How they do it in the Truck Series. How they’re doing it in Xfinity. Now it’s come up to the Cup Series. It’s just this vicious cycle of how to race.”

Busch believes this new style of racing is exciting

Further speaking on the subject, the RCR driver highlighted how this new style of racing has become more and more exciting than the older days. He explained how the older generations would race each other respectfully, but now it’s the ‘do anything for track position’ attitude amongst the younger drivers.

Busch added, “But that’s a hell of a lot damn more exciting. I guess than it once was in the Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Boby Labonte eras where the racing was a lot cleaner. You gave each other room that the faster your car caught you.”

“You let them go. You hope for the same favor later. Now if they catch, you try to hold them off as long as you can and screw him up so they don’t go by you because track positions everything.”

Surely, the racing patterns have changed over the years, and so have the rules and the cars. Hence, with time, there are going to be new styles that younger generations bring about. But Denny Hamlin isn’t from the younger generation. He’s been in the sport for decades.

So maybe he’s just copying what he learned from the younger drivers who race alongside him. Who knows?