Kevin Liles-US PRESSWIRE
Kyle Busch may have not had the 2012 NASCAR season he expected but his frustration after the race at Dover may have caused damage.
After dominating for most of the race at Dover International Speedway for the third race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Busch led for 300 laps. As soon as the race was over and after not capturing the win Busch took out his frustration towards Toyota Racing Development over the radio. On Thursday, Busch released a statement apologizing for his actions.
In his statement apologizing to TDR for his comments, Busch mentions that he owes everyone at Toyota and TRD an apology due to their partnership over the years.
“I made some remarks out of frustration on my radio at the end of last weekend’s race in Dover that were very misguided,” said Busch in the statement. “I owe my friends at Toyota and TRD an apology. We have a great partnership with TRD and they built me a motor that helped me lead over 300 laps and nearly lap the field.”
Busch apologized for his remarks but in a SiriusXM interview TRD president Lee White mentioned that he and others at Toyota were hurt by the comments and took them personally.
It’s understandable that Busch may have gotten mad over the final result after a dominating performance, especially after the way the 2012 season has gone for him. It could have been an amazing result for the No.18 but it was not right for him to release his anger and play the blame game on a manufacturer that has supported him over the years. Toyota and TDR have not only supported Busch but his teams as well, in Joe Gibbs Racing and his own Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Toyota and Busch have had a relationship that has grown over the years and it seems that the relationship hit a speed bump over the radio comments. Busch did the right thing in apologizing but time will tell how all parties overcome the situation.
Joe Gibbs Racing and Busch are set to go over a contract extension in the near future. How Busch and Toyota surpass the Dover incident may have a role to play later on when it comes to finalizing that extension.
As the season is in the ending stages with seven races to go, it would be better for all parties to put the Dover incident past them and move forward. Busch can still look for a positive ending to the year by continuing to race and capture a couple of good finishes as well as working with his KBM teams. As for Toyota, Busch has been one of the many drivers to provide the manufacturer many wins. Dover was just one of those situations no one could control.
Christy Valdez is a member of the NASCAR Media. Follow her on Twitter @Knowursports and on Facebook at On The Sidelines With Christy
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