Counterpoint to this from @dennyhamlin: 23XI pays a fee to JGR and their relationship isn't facilitated/mandated by Toyota. (The dynamics with all this are complex and need to put together a video with their answers rather than a tweet, but that's the gist of it.)
My last interaction on this Earth with Kyle Busch two months ago at Talladega. There's two stories from this weekend I wanted to share.
- I hesitate to say that I'm "intimidated" by anyone, but more than any other driver I knew Kyle did not suffer fools gladly and that if I was going to ask him a question, I better be prepared and make sure it was a good one. For the most part, I think I did that. However,
Talladega was just after Kyle's interview with Sean Hannity, where I picked up on him saying that NASCAR didn't like what RCR was doing to their cars in 2023 and told them not to bring it back after Kyle's win at Gateway that year. That got some traction, so naturally I figured I'd follow up and ask him directly about that. I didn't go into the scrum meaning to ask him "What exactly were you guys doing to your cars?" but it kind of came out that way.
Kyle said "No" and grinned in a "I'm not telling you what I was doing to my racecar, c'mon now," kind of way. Thinking "ah, nuts" (and probably grinning myself knowing I got outwitted) I tried to recover and rephrase the question, and Kyle - professionally and in a way that I could understand without divulging anything - answered in a way that described what his team had going on as large clippets of points on a scale of 100.
I asked him another question about what it was like being on Sean Hannity's show and podcasts outside of NASCAR. He answered, I got what I needed, so I flashed thumbs up as a "Thank you" and dipped while the media scrum continued. Not thinking anything of it at the time.
- Hand to God this is a true story (and I'm pretty sure someone from RCR PR was there so they can corroborate this): When Carson Hocevar did his celebration in the trioval on the window of his car I went out to the edge of pit road along the infield grass to record the whole thing as I and everyone else was reacting to it. When I was done, Kyle was walking past me back up pit road after he was done with his time in the post-race bullpen
Like a lot of other people Kyle was looking up at the video board seeing what Carson was doing. He said something out loud like he had an eyebrow raised to it - I forget exactly what but it was along the lines of "How is he supposed to steer/stop/something or other with the car" and said almost in a "what is that fool doing?" kind of way. He continued walking, and that ended up being the last time I ever saw him.
I'm still trying to find meaning in that, if it meant anything at all. To have been there that day at Hickory - where I had started Coke 600 week hoping to finally get a one-on-one with Kyle after he ran his Legends car and preparing stuff to ask - already means more than I can adequately describe.
@IceTitan80 The land of the cubbies. As a Cardinals fan even I'm happy they are bringing back another midwest race next thing you know they might bring back road america.
🏁 Weekend Winners 🏁
Lots of rainouts this weekend. But still plenty of great racing across the country. Who were your favorite winners this weekend? Let’s make this weeks list even longer for @KarsynElledge3. 😁
Hate not being at the race track this weekend with the 23 boys.
Spending my day here in @XfinityRacing Speed Center hanging out the nerds. See what these guys and gals are really up to while we’re racing.