Rivalries are one of the most quintessential aspects of any sport. Pushing their limits continuously, athletes strive for victory in every field of play. NASCAR is no stranger to such rivalries. Vying to win every duel and clear their competitors at every turn, the cutthroat competitiveness leaves tiny room for error. One of the most heated ones involves NASCAR legends Dale Jr and Kyle Busch.

The feud between two of the most popular superstars in NASCAR is not news to followers of the sport. They have wrecked and pushed each other into walls multiple times, most notably in the 2007 season. But in recent news, Dale Earnhardt Jr reminisces of an instance that underlines the quality and panache of their rivalry.

Dale Earnhardt Jr vs Kyle Busch: The Great Rivalry

A recent NASCAR on Fox Instagram post created chaos among the fans. The post illustrates a list of the best drivers in the NASCAR post-2000, informed by popular AI, ChatGPT. 7-time championship winner Jimmie Johnson led the chart, followed by Jeff Gordon and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart. The top 5 are rounded up by 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick and Dale Jr.

There is no denying the talent of all the racecar drivers mentioned in the list. Despite that, as for every revelation of this sort, something is always missing for someone. In the questions raised on the rankings, one common pattern is Junior’s placement over Kyle Busch.

The Junior vs Busch rivalry dates back to 2007, which would be Kyle’s last year at Hendrick Motorsports. And who else than Earnhardt Jr to replace Rowdy at HMS? In the following season, Richmond proved to be the turning point in their dynamic. With three laps remaining, Busch spun the HMS car as a result of which Clint Bowyer moved past both of them to cross the finish line.

This incident earned some repulsive comments from the Dale Jr camp as well as the fanbase. In another incident at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Busch was visibly upset with the NASCAR officials. Claiming that he was the one that should be coming in 2nd place ahead of Earnhardt Jr, who as per Busch’s team spotter never even crossed Dale on the track.

These are some of the memorable matchups between the two of them. Certainly a great rivalry, it has given us fans and followers a lot to watch and cheer for.

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Earnhardt Jr Reminisces About an Awkward Moment With Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch

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On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, NASCAR announced new inductees into the further expanded list of 75 Greatest Drivers. Both Junior and Busch had to make it, which they did. Dale Jr revealed one incident that happened at the event in Darlington, that shows that fans do remember his epic rivalry with the Richard Childress Racing driver.

Speaking on the podcast ‘The Dale Jr Download’, he says, “We’re sitting there on the stage in Darlington, and Kyle Busch walks across. We’re shaking hands, and the fans were cheering.” 

In another twist added to the meetup, the legendary Carl Edwards joins him for a chat as he expresses his surprise at the crowd’s response to the unexpected handshake. Edwards has certainly seen the great rivalry up close on the tracks.

“Carl Edwards looked at me and goes, what the hell’s that all about? I said, Kyle went to drive for RCR and Chevrolet. All is forgiven“

Well, what better than to see Rowdy and Junior warm up to each other after fighting it out on the tracks for years?

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