NASCAR champ hits out at CLUELESS officials after COTA drama

Kyle Busch has hit out as NASCAR after confusion over a number of rule applications in this weekend's Circuit of the Americas race.

The veteran driver was close to breaking a 59-race winless streak in Texas, but was forced to relinquish his lead with six laps to go after a knock with winner Christopher Bell.

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Busch and Bell came together with a handful of laps to go, with the latter looking for his second Cup Series win in a row, and the impact bent Busch's car's wheel out of line.

Bell came through to eventually win his second straight race, while Busch dropped down to fifth by the finish, and was clearly displeased with the officials' decision-making after the race.

.@KyleBusch, @chaseelliott and @CBellRacing all expressed confusion with @nascar and how it ruled on drivers cutting corners in Turn 6 at @NASCARatCOTA. pic.twitter.com/odtX5YSd41

— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) March 3, 2025

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What did Kyle Busch say about NASCAR rules?

Drivers were heard checking on radio to their spotters and crew chiefs during the earlier stages of the race, asking which corners track limits were being enforced at.

"I heard they were gonna police turns 4, 5, and 6," Busch said after the race. "And then it turned into 3, 4, 5. And yesterday it was only 4 and 5. So, they ain't got a clue."

Indeed, a member of AJ Allmendinger‘s team called into him midway through the race to say: “All right, NASCAR just made a change. There’s no track limits in Turn 6 if that helps you. No track limits in Turn 6 only.”

Race winner Bell said in a post-race press conference: "Early in the race I saw several competitors in front of me cut Turn 6 and break the rule. And thankfully [crew chief] Adam [Stevens] got on the radio. I don't remember what it was, probably about Lap 20, 30, and was like, ‘Hey, they're not going to police track limits in Turn 6'."

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