NASCAR is no stranger to on-track fireworks that spark heated feuds, only to see them fizzle out with time and perspective. Take Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch after they were involved in a tussle during the 2008 practice run at Daytona. Smoke made contact with Busch’s car, running him up the track into the wall. While the tension between the two drivers was at an all-time high, they made peace after a visit to a NASCAR hauler.

“We’ve met with NASCAR twice now, and we’re both past it, and we’re hoping the media will respect that fact, too, and let us move on from it,” Stewart said. What started as a clash ended in mutual respect, showing how NASCAR’s intensity often cools with time. Then there’s Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin at Martinsville in 2017.

Hamlin dumped Elliott in Turn 3, killing his chance at a win and igniting a firestorm of boos. Elliott confronted Hamlin on pit road, and the rivalry spilled into Phoenix. Months later, Hamlin owned up to his mistake, and Elliott let it go, saying, “That’s in the past now. We’ve raced each other clean since.” These moments prove NASCAR’s feuds, while fiery, often fade as drivers move on and find common ground. Now, a long-buried moment between Brad Keselowski and Mark Martin is getting a fresh look, and it’s all laughs now.

Martin’s confession and Keselowski’s forgiveness

Back in 2008, the two were JR Motorsports teammates in the Nationwide Series, but a late-race incident left Keselowski stinging. Martin, reflecting on it years later, brought it up with a grin, and Keselowski’s response shows he’s made peace with the past. It’s a reminder that even the sport’s toughest moments can turn into stories shared over a chuckle, especially when two veterans like Martin and Keselowski look back with clear heads.

In a recent Dirty Mo Media interview, Mark Martin spilled the beans on a 2008 Sam’s Town 300 incident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that’s still a sore spot for Brad Keselowski—or at least it was. Martin recalled, “Well, it was really cool and they were on the verge to win. The story is Brad Keselowski thought he was going to deliver the first win even though we were probably had the best car. But we had a pit stop, and after the pit stop right at the end of the race, Carl and Brad were in front of me. I had better tires, and that Carl and Brad were running side by side and they kept running side by side, and I’m like y’all sort this out so I can go on up there and win the race. So I thought I would give Carl a little push, and it wiped out Carl and Brad. So it wasn’t too pretty and Brad has never forgot it.”

With five laps to go, Martin, on fresher tires, made contact with Carl Edwards and Keselowski, sending both spinning while he crossed the line first. It cost Keselowski his first potential Nationwide win, a big deal for a young driver “hanging on to my dream by a thread,” as Keselowski later put it. Martin apologized post-race, saying, “I feel real bad for Brad, because he was so close to getting his first victory,” but the sting lingered for the young hotshot, who was desperate for a breakthrough.

Keselowski reposted Martin’s clip, reflecting, “Mark is right… he was faster and I didn’t forget. It was a particularly challenging time in my career. Desperate for success, hanging on to my dream by a thread, I kept getting wrecked for wins & It hardened me in a lot of ways that would ruffle feathers in the years to come… My days of being upset have passed, my heart is full of forgiveness, yet the racing lesson’s remain. Eat or be Eaten.” He’s moved on, inspired by Martin’s longevity, even citing him in 2024: “If [Mark] can do it, I can do it,” admiring Martin’s grace and endurance racing until 54.

Keselowski and Kyle Busch aren’t the best of friends

While Keselowski made peace with Martin, not every rivalry is so easily buried. His long-running feud with Kyle Busch was pure NASCAR gold in their prime. Keselowski nabbed the 2012 Cup title, while Busch countered with championships in 2015 and 2019. Their battles were fierce, but now, with Keselowski at 41 and Busch at 40, both are chasing relevance.

A recent Back to the Future spinoff promo for Homestead-Miami Speedway’s 2026 finale had them laughing together, but Keselowski got real at Indy’s media day: “I think we’re both in a position where it’s hard to have a rivalry… when you’re not competing for wins.”

Busch, with 232 career wins (63 in Cup), is mired in a 79-race winless streak since 2023. Keselowski’s 36 Cup wins include just one since 2021, at Darlington in 2024. “Right now, neither of us have consistently been in a spot where we’re competing for wins,” Keselowski said. “So any type of rivalry is really just a distraction.” Both are focused on rebuilding their programs, not rehashing old beefs.

Still, Keselowski holds out hope: “I would love to rekindle that rivalry because in my eyes what that means is we’re competing with each other for wins.” For now, their battles are fond memories, but the spark’s on hold unless they’re duking it out up front. Both drivers are desperate for a win and a playoff spot, who knows, this rivalry might spark off again in the next couple of races.