For better or for worse, Kyle Busch was tweeting up a storm Sunday night.
Despite finishing a respectable third in the Auto Club 400, Busch was awfully frustrated after finishing two spots behind race-winner Martin Truex Jr. Part of that had to do with a wrong-way adjustment by a pit crew member during the final stage, which affected Busch’s ability to handle the No. 18 during the final laps.
What really set him off, however, was the apparent confusion over why he didn’t conduct a TV interview after the race.
Busch, who has faced criticism in the past for declining postrace interviews, claimed a lug-nut issue prompted NASCAR to park him at the end of pit road, which delayed his appearance near the garages. The ever-controversial driver offered context as to why he wasn’t one of the three drivers who spoke in the media center.
From that point on, things really got weird.
Fans were eager to hear Busch’s postrace remarks, as they expected a textbook “Rowdy” blowup after the pit road mishap. But fans pounced when Busch was nowhere to be found, and that really didn’t sit well with the 32-year-old.
There were a lot of stupid things said in the ensuing Twitter feud, but here’s a sample:
Yikes.
At one point, Busch offered his thoughts on how NASCAR should handle postrace interviews.
Now, can Kyle Busch sometimes be a bit too insufferable? Well, yeah — but during a time when NASCAR needs its stars to generate fan interest, Busch might be just what the sport needs.
Just ask Dale Earnhardt Jr.:
Tough to argue with that.
At the end of the day, every sport needs a good villain, and Busch certainly fits the bill for NASCAR. He also represents the best of both worlds: A polarizing personality who generates headlines with his mouth, as well as a great driver who generates them with his performance on the track.
