Denny Hamlin has been on the receiving end of a bit of stick from Hendrick Motorsports drivers and fans for what he did to Kyle Larson at the Pocono race. However, the criticism is not limited to that group, as Kyle Busch is the latest name to jump on the Denny Hamlin-Hate Train. Toward the end of the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond, Busch’s crew had made a smart pit stop and he had a shot of winning his fourth race this season. But was just not meant to be for the veteran. And it was all probably because of Hamlin. 

As Denny Hamlin, in the #11 locked up with just a couple of laps remaining, it forced Busch to take evasive measures which set him back a row. He fell behind an in-form Joey Logano and found himself in fourth place with one lap to go. Fortunately, Busch was able to claim third place from Logano before the end of the race, with Chris Buescher and Denny Hamlin finishing first and second, respectively.

What did Kyle Busch have to say about Denny Hamlin’s lock-up?

In a post-race interview, Kyle Busch said that Hamlin’s mistake dropped him down a row and it was difficult to make the places up with only two laps remaining. He also acknowledged Logano’s fantastic run at the end. Despite the result, Busch seemed satisfied with the car and the outcome.

When asked about what happened towards the end, Busch said, “I don’t know. Denny spun his tires a little bit there on that start and just automatically got us a row behind and it’s hard to make that back up you know.”

“But #22 also had a hell of a run through one and two on the outside and I got pinched lower than letting my car kind of naturally drift on the exit so, you know, just was able to battle back and get a third though, so that’s the finish that we deserve which is really really good.”

Busch went on to thank the sponsors and manufacturers, where he mentioned that the performance of the engine suited his driving style very well, which ultimately led him to a strong top-five finish.

“We had a great car to kind of run the first 50 laps of a run and then it would really drop off so we short-pitted each time but, you know thanks to the NetSpend, X World Wallet credit card, and everyone else for being a part of our program, RCR, ECR. ECR especially, I ran the heck out of this motor today and spent a lot of time in fourth gear which just, that’s what helped me with my driving style the way we were doing it today. So, feels good to run a solid top five like that.”

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Rowdy Says His Cool Shirts Made a World of Difference in Richmond

Richmond was a physically demand track and one of the reasons for that was the temperature. A lot of the drivers spoke about how they had to deal with the sweltering conditions. Kyle Busch was no different, but he credited his cool shirt for making a lot of difference throughout the event.

“I mean it’s warm, it’s hot, but these cool shirts are a world of difference, you know, so that certainly helps a lot. I wouldn’t run a hot race without one anymore but, you know, when it comes to the wintertime I tend to shy back away from it but overall, yeah.”

He also mentioned that he would like to see night races at Richmond make a comeback.

“ I love night racing at Richmond. If we could please get night racing back at Richmond that would be awesome but I get it.”

With three wins and eight top-five finishes so far this year, Kyle Busch is having a fantastic time with Richard Childress Racing. The 38-year-old currently sits in fifth place on the NASCAR standings and has already booked his place in the playoffs. With a little bit of luck, Rowdy could become a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion come the end of the season.

Read More: Kyle Busch Declares His Way to Race to Be Better, Unlike Former Teammate’s