Kyle Busch during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman face awkward exchange after COTA crash
Shane Walters
Watch the video of the exchange between the NASCAR drivers
Earlier this month, Kyle Busch looked to be heading to victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A late race caution sent the field to the pit lane. Alex Bowman took two tires, held off the field and claimed his first win of the season.
Kyle Busch cursed Bowman on the radio. He called the win, “Bullshit.”
After the race, Busch called Bowman to apologize for his comments over the radio. Bowman went on to sell t-shirts featuring Busch’s radio comments on his win.
On Saturday, Kyle Busch and Alex Bowman entered the NASCAR Truck Series event. The two NASCAR Cup Series driver were looking for extra track time ahead of Sunday’s race.
With 2 laps to go, Kyle Busch was in the lead. He had been the dominate car for most of the day to this point.
Behind him, Stewart Friesen and Alex Bowman were racing hard for 2nd. Bowman had a huge run off turn 11 and looked to his inside into turn 12.
Friesen drove it deep into the corner to defend the inside move. As they attempted to out brake each other, they both missed the corner and closed three truck lengths to race leader Kyle Busch.
As Friesen pinched Bowman’s move. Both of them had a horrible angle to the corner and they had no chance of making the corner. When Friesen turned in, he made contact with Bowman.
Bowman then pushed Friesen into Kyle Busch. The top three all rubbed fenders. Zane Smith drove from 4th to 1st, in one corner.
“Bummer way to end a solid day,” Alex Bowman tweeted after the race.
He added, “52 just turned left when I was inside of him and put us at an angle where neither one of us way going to make the corner. Hate it happened but on to tomorrow.”
Directly after the race, Alex Bowman walked up to Kyle Busch. He told his side of the story but Kyle didn’t respond with much.
Bowman told Kyle, “As soon as he cranked it left, I wheel hopped and locked up,” Alex Bowman told Kyle Busch after the race. So, I apologize.”
“We raced good all day, just didn’t survive the demolition derby at the end,” Stewart Friesen told Bob Pockrass.
“That’s what the truck race has turned into. They can’t wait to through the green-white-checkered and just watch everybody pile into each other. That’s exciting right? Good tv.”
“I got under Kyle. Then, Bowman just cleared both of us out. I really didn’t expect that. He drove in probably 30 car lengths too deep, with no shot and just wiped us out.”
“We were all tore up and couldn’t even turn after that.”
“Just frustrated, I would have really liked to race those guys. I’m mean raced them, not just cannonball each other out of the way.”
“I mean, I rubbed Kyle a little bit. But, allowed him to clear out. It would have been an exciting two laps with hard racing, not demo derby moves.”
Alex Bowman talks to Kyle Busch after the race at COTA