It goes without saying that the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a disappointment for Kyle Busch. In fact, that’s probably the understatement of the century. However, this past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, for the first time in a long time, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
In the end, the hope faded, as Busch recorded yet another disappointing 20th-place finish after he seemingly lost his marbles in a dust-up with John Hunter Nemechek with two laps remaining in Sunday’s Wurth 400.
Now, people are wondering if NASCAR should penalize Busch for his actions in the final couple of laps at Texas Motor Speedway, and to be honest, it’s a fair question, all things considered.
What happened between Busch and Nemechek?
With two laps to go in the Wurth 400, Busch, who was running 13th at the time, was attempting to complete a pass of Nemechek on the exit of Turn 2. However, there was one problem, a problem that Busch’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, let him know on the team radio — he wasn’t clear.
The two drivers made contact, which sent Busch into the outside wall on the backstretch.
"And then he just wrecks him."
Here's what happened between John Hunter Nemechek and Kyle Busch coming to the white flag at Texas. pic.twitter.com/yoiFoZYtl7
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 3, 2026
Regardless of who was right or wrong in this situation, the best complete race of Busch’s 2026 season had hit a wall, literally, with two laps to go. After a solid sixth-place qualifying position, and running inside the top-10 virtually all race long, it looked like Busch was going to have a finish outside of the top-10, and some right-side damage to show for his efforts.
Was What Happened Next Retaliation?
It was at this moment that it seemed that Busch either began seeing red or his car had so much damage that he was unable to turn it properly. As the two drivers reached Turn 3, Busch turned right into the door of Nemechek’s No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota, which sent Nemechek spinning from the 13th position.
Busch, likewise, would lose a lot of positions in the incident. In the end, the incident was a net loss for everyone involved.
Nemechek, who was understandably frustrated, took to X after the race, and quote-posted a video of the incident with Busch. Nemechek said, “not freaking clear. great day going. and just got wrecked. what an ass.”
not freaking clear. great day going. and just got wrecked. what an ass https://t.co/D8HpSe8EAr
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) May 3, 2026
Busch would respond with a video of SMT data showing that Nemechek was running a slightly lower line off of Turn 2 than the other cars on track, and captioned the video with, “I did not start this. The 42 apparently doesn’t know where the [right side] of his car is and where he is in relation to the outside wall. There was 2 [feet] outside him, and I was judging my left side tires to the hash marks. Always know who your racing beside.”
I did not start this. The 42 apparently doesn’t know where the RS of his car is and where he is in relation to the outside wall. There was 2 ft outside him and I was judging my left side tires to the hash marks. Always know who your racing beside. ? https://t.co/7IxSUMePzm pic.twitter.com/AqSl5TlNsa
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 3, 2026
While Busch was upset about the contact on the backstretch, whether it was his fault or Nemechek’s, that contact seemed like a racing deal.
Will Busch Be Penalized?
The real question, and the one that will likely determine whether Busch is penalized this week, is: Was the seemingly retaliatory impact in Turn 3 intentional?
Ultimately, that will be up to NASCAR to dive into the data attached to both cars to determine that fact. It should be noted that Busch’s SMT data video of his car cuts off before he reaches Turn 3, where the final contact between the two drivers occurred.
If NASCAR determines that Busch’s contact in Turn 3 was intentional retaliation, there could be a penalty handed out.
Penalties for these types of on-track incidents have ranged anywhere from monetary fines, the deduction of championship points, or even, in severe cases, a suspension.
How Does This Impact Busch And the No. 8 Team?
Obviously, a penalty could prove damaging for Busch and the No. 8 team. If Busch is suspended, that opens the team up to likely placing one of its NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers behind the wheel of the No. 8 car until Busch is able to return.
A points penalty would hurt as well, as Busch is mired in 26th in the championship standings, and is desperately trying to claw his way forward.
However, penalty or no penalty, Busch not closing out what had been a decent showing and seemingly losing his cool with two laps to go is an absolute gut-punch for everyone involved.
Granted, he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities at closing out good runs that this season, but over Busch’s career-long 104-race winless streak, he has had several opportunities to win or score solid finishes that have come undone due to mental lapses in the closing laps of the race.
This latest one just feels like a bigger deal for the driver and his No. 8 team, though, as it looked like they were going to exit Texas Motor Speedway with some much-needed momentum after a week filled with change and optimism.
Following the event at Talladega Superspeedway, Richard Childress Racing made a change at crew chief for Busch, which put Andy Street, who served as Busch’s crew chief in the final five races of the 2025 season, back atop the pit box in place of Jim Pohlman, who RCR acquired in the offseason from JR Motorsports.
After the change was made, Austin Dillon explained in a media availability at Texas Motor Speedway that Busch had a meeting with the entire Richard Childress Racing team on the shop floor, a meeting that Dillon called positive. And in his interviews leading up to Sunday’s race, Busch was saying all of the right things, including that he loved team owner Richard Childress and was dedicated to turning things around.
And when Busch and the No. 8 team unloaded their zone Chevrolet in Fort Worth, TX, the car had speed. Real, legitimate speed.
They were set up for success, and still came out of the weekend with another failure.
It’s hard to swallow, and you wonder if the team can bounce back with motivation again next week. I mean, think about it. If you’ve been in that shop pouring in extra hours in an effort to turn things around, despite the public scrutiny about your team’s performance, how do you feel?
You did your part and produced a car capable of a top-10 finish at a track as difficult as Texas Motor Speedway, and your guy behind the wheel threw away a potential top-10 to top-15. Would you keep putting out that same effort the following week?
