NASCAR has fined Kyle Busch $50,000 following his reckless actions in Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Busch hit the wall after contact with Austin Dillon on Lap 125 and sustained severe damage. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver drove his car down pit road and through cones blocking part of the garage entrance following the crash. He sped into a crowd of crew members and team guests in the garage area and pulled up to his hauler before exiting his car and leaving for his motorhome.
Should Kyle Busch be called to the NASCAR hauler for this? pic.twitter.com/uONT02RugP
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 5, 2021
According to NASCAR, Busch’s fine was due to a safety violation, actions detrimental to stock car racing, and violating the NASCAR member conduct guidelines covered in sections 12.1.a, 12.5.2.5.a, and 12.8.a of the rulebook, respectively.
Busch also had a televised interview after his trip to the infield care center in which he blamed his team for his performance and lifted the blame of the wreck off Dillon.
All-time Kyle Busch interview right here. Just incredible content. pic.twitter.com/Asj7zGTbUP
— Eric Storms (@eric__storms) September 6, 2021
The No. 18 Toyota Camry now sits 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, two points below the cutline with two races remaining in the Round of 16. Richmond and Bristol remain in this round of the playoffs and are both favorable tracks for Busch. He’s won a combined 14 times in the Cup Series at the two venues with over 30 combined top-5 finishes.
Busch will likely need two solid races or a win to advance to the playoffs. Fortunately for him, five of his playoff competitors finished 20th or worse to help minimize Busch’s poor Darlington race.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST at Richmond Raceway. The Xfinity Series will race Saturday afternoon at Richmond with a start time of 2:30 p.m. EST. Both races will air on NBCSN.