The death of Kyle Busch has sent shockwaves through the NASCAR world and perhaps no one felt it more personally than his longtime teammate and rival, Denny Hamlin. The two men shared years together at Joe Gibbs Racing, pushed each other to be better, clashed publicly and never stopped talking about one another.
Hamlin reacts to the loss of his biggest rival
When news of Busch’s passing broke, Hamlin turned to social media to express his grief. “Absolutely cannot comprehend this news,” he posted. “We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB”
The two men had spent years racing alongside each other at Joe Gibbs Racing, where they were widely regarded as 1A and 1B at the top of the organization, swapping that top spot back and forth depending on the season.
On the all-time Cup Series wins list, the pair sit just one spot apart, with Busch at ninth with 63 wins and Hamlin at tenth with 61, according to Athlon Sports. Before Busch’s passing, they were the winningest active full-time drivers in the Cup Series.
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A rivalry built on respect and real tension
While there was always mutual respect between the two, there was also genuine competitive fire that played out very publicly in the weeks before Busch’s death.
In April, Hamlin spoke openly about Busch’s struggles on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. “Clearly, RCR is not good right now. But you’re a Hall of Fame, Mount Rushmore driver. Carry it better than your teammate then. If you’re the greatest, then carry it better than your teammate who’s won 10 races in his career. Find a way. I think that’s what he should be able to do. But it’s not happening. It’s time to be honest about what’s going on. I think he’s searching. I think that he doesn’t know how to get the speed out of the Next Gen car on a consistent basis,” Hamlin said, as per Fox Sports.
Busch hit back quickly. “If Denny wants to switch cars, I’ll switch cars with him any day of the week, any time. He can bash me all he wants, and I can certainly make his life hell,” he said, according to Fox Sports. On Sean Hannity’s podcast, Busch went even further. “He has got his own podcast, and he’s been running his mouth lately. So he might get run into again soon. He’s been telling me that I’m washed up and I can’t drive anymore, old-man syndrome”
Hamlin always believed in Busch
Despite the back-and-forth, Hamlin made it clear his criticism always came from a place of respect. When asked about his comments on the FOX pre-race show, he was open about what Busch had meant to him. “I know this: I was teammates with Kyle Busch. And I know he taught me by far more than any teammate I ever was with. The reason I’m decent on these mile-and-a-halfs is because of Kyle Busch. I am rooting for him because the sport needs the old Kyle Busch,” Hamlin said, as per Fox Sports.
On his podcast, Hamlin kept it short and simple. “I was as gentle as I felt like I should have been. I’m rooting for him. Let’s go 8,” he said, referring to Busch by his car number.
Now, with Busch gone, that rivalry which was one of the most entertaining and competitive in NASCAR in years is now over.
