Two weeks ago, it was Jim Pohlman spewing expletives over the radio; today, it’s Kyle Busch. However, the way the situation was handled was very different from then. It all started with a minor rant by Busch against one of his arch-nemeses, Carson Hocevar, which turned into a full-blown rift between him and his spotter.

When it was Jim Pohlman on his radio, Busch was unnaturally silent. Back then, ‘Rowdy’ was running at the back of the pack and completely devoid of confidence. But today, none of that was going to hold him back. After a long while, he was running in the top 10 again and actually looking forward to a good finish. Thus, it was only natural that Hocevar’s risky move while trying to pass the 41-year-old, one that nearly wiped him out, didn’t go unanswered by Busch.

“That’s the f— stupid s— that makes him a f— a—. Goddammit, dude!” the No. 8 driver said.

What followed was not some cheeky response by Hocevar. Instead, it was his spotter seemingly lecturing him about his pace and asking him to stay calm.

“We haven’t run in the top 10 in like three years. We’re having a great day here today. Keep it together. I know it’s not perfect. Just keep your s– together; we’re having a good day,” Derek Kneeland said.

And just like that, he added spark to the fuel, leading to a massive explosion. Busch’s answer was a complete defiance of anything the spotter was trying to teach.

“OK, psych major. That’s not at all what I’m talking about. Let’s keep it in one piece; that could have ruined our day. OK? It’s other people. I’m fine. Put a bag of ice in your c—, let’s go,” Busch added.

That was one heated exchange between a driver and his spotter. Meanwhile, it was a complete turnaround for the bold declaration Busch’s rival had made earlier, before the race started. Talking about his so-called ‘feud’ with Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar claimed that “I just enjoy racing with him a lot. We were joking around pre-race.” Maybe he said those words too soon. Because what happened on the track was definitely not a simple joke. It was cutthroat competition.

In fact, Hocevar happens to be on Busch’s enemy list, as revealed by the driver in conversation with Sean Hannity.

“I do,” Busch said. “Logano’s on it, and Brad Keselowski. He was on it really hard and heavy a few years ago; he and I got into a few battles… Hocevar’s probably another one that I just don’t see eye to eye.”

The entire situation also brought Busch and his team boss on opposite ends after the former put forth his trust in Childress’ decision to bring back Andy Street in the pit box. The celebration couldn’t last long as Busch eventually faded toward the midpack once again. Running out of the top 10 with no way to bring his car back to the front row, Busch seems to be stuck in his old slump once again, with just 1 top 10 finish in 11 races so far.

However, early signs in Texas were encouraging. He had started sixth and showed decent pace, moving forward and establishing himself as a contender inside the top five. But his car’s inability to “fire off” properly on restarts frustrated the veteran. He struggled to launch effectively after cautions, particularly due to a lack of rear grip. This left him vulnerable in traffic and forced him to push harder to maintain track position.

By lap 197, the frustration reached a breaking point, and he lashed out at his spotter. He knew his Chevrolet had the pace to deliver a strong result and didn’t want contact or a poor decision to ruin it for him.

This entire exchange is reminiscent of Busch’s conversation with Kneeland during a race nearly a year ago. But the responses between them had a stark difference that time around.

When Kneeland rebuked Kyle Busch for letting others push him around

Last year at Charlotte, when Busch’s winless streak was still 70 races, a strange conversation drew everyone’s attention towards the RCR camp. Busch had an incident with Ross Chastain during the second stage. He was rather confused about it, and unlike his usual demeanor, he calmly asked his team if it was his mistake.

“No, when I just wrecked on the front stretch two laps ago. He f– flipped me off. Was that my fault or his?” he asked.

Comparing this reaction to what Busch had in Texas today, it was significantly more family-friendly. Although his spotter responded in a manner that shocked even Kyle Busch:

“You haven’t done anything wrong. You are the one that lets everybody run you all over the track.”

Busch was silent for multiple seconds before reminding him that it was not the answer he was looking for. But it was more than a response; it was a statement directly attacking Rowdy’s ego and manners on the track. It begs a rather important question: Is the relationship between Derek Kneeland and Kyle Busch affecting the duo’s performance on track?

Only Busch and Kneeland know the answer to this mystery. But if it’s true, then why is Kneeland still with Busch?