The 20 Most Entertaining Driver Confrontations In NASCAR History

20. Bristol 2008 – Kyle Busch vs. Carl Edwards

The Setup:

Kyle Busch was in his first year at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, and he made it his goal to win almost everything in sight, which is exactly what he did. He went from being third fiddle at Hendrick Motorsports to the top dog at JGR in their new Toyotas, and as a result he was walloping the field. Of course, it was during this time that he became NASCAR’s biggest villain, with his smarmy attitude and smug demeanor.

Carl Edwards, meanwhile, was hunting down a championship as Busch’s closest competitor that summer. He too was winning races frequently, and going into Bristol that August he was the defending event champion. But Busch had been fast all weekend long, so Edwards had his work cut out for him. No problem; just a casual bump-and-run would do.

The Fallout: 

Following the bump, Edwards went on to lead the rest of the race all the way to the checkered, earning his second-straight Bristol Night victory. Busch, who led 415 laps, was forced to settle for second-place, and he wasn’t happy. Fans, tired of Busch’s whiny schtick by this point, were forced to watch as Busch rammed Edwards on his cool-down lap.

But unlike some of Busch’s other victims in 2008, Edwards wasn’t about to take any guff. Once Busch pulled ahead a little bit, Edwards hooked left and turned the No. 18 to the delight of the Bristol crowd. Busch made a half-hearted attempt to return the favor, but ducked onto pit road instead, putting the matter to rest.

To date, Busch hasn’t attempted to take out any frustrations on Edwards since. He probably got the message that night: Edwards doesn’t get messed with.

Next: South Boston 1998