Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion and driver for Richard Childress Racing, expressed skepticism about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s cameo as a crew chief, labeling it a “publicity stunt.” Busch’s comments came in a pre-race interview ahead of the Pocono Xfinity Series race, where he was asked about Dale Jr.’s involvement. Busch stated that Dale Jr. would essentially be “a warm body sitting on top of the box,” emphasizing that modern technology and support from the shop allow the crew chief to remain involved even if suspended. Busch suggested that with the current resources, anyone could fill the role nominally while the real work is done by the team at the shop. He added that such appearances bring attention and “cool eyeballs” to the team but downplayed the actual impact of Dale Jr.’s presence in the crew chief role. Busch also mentioned that he could do the same with one of his truck teams, with the shop personnel handling the duties behind the scenes. He concluded by acknowledging that JR Motorsports is one of the top teams in the Xfinity Series and wished them well, saying, “let the best man win” .
Dale Earnhardt Jr. had spoken positively about his crew chief debut, expressing excitement to help Mardy Lindley and the team. He mentioned that the team has a strong staff, including Mike Bumgarner and Patrick Martin, and expected no problems in managing the race .
Following the backlash from fans on social media who criticized Busch’s comments as dismissive and unfair, Kyle Busch clarified his stance on X (formerly Twitter). He explained that his remarks were not a personal attack on Dale Jr. but rather a critique of the concept of suspending crew chiefs in the modern era, given the advanced communication technologies that allow them to stay involved remotely. Busch said, “This has nothing to do with any animosity towards Dale Jr. I’m referencing how silly the suspensions for cc (crew chief) are these days with all the technology they have to stay in contact with their teams. I’d say the same thing if JG (likely Jeff Gordon) went on an HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) box as a cc” .
Historically, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had on-track run-ins and a competitive rivalry, especially in the late 2000s when Busch was replaced by Dale Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports, leading Busch to move to Joe Gibbs Racing. However, they appear to be on good terms currently despite Busch’s critical comments .
In summary, the article details Kyle Busch’s public skepticism about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s role as a crew chief being more of a media attention tactic than a substantive racing role, the ensuing fan reactions, and Busch’s subsequent clarification that his comments targeted the crew chief suspension system rather than Dale Jr. personally. It also highlights Dale Jr.’s enthusiasm for his crew chief duties and the context of the Pocono race where this situation unfolded .
