Another Race, Another Incident Between 18 and 5 Cars

Another race, another incident between Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch.

During Saturday night's Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the two got together in Turn 1 while battling for the lead. The result was another wrecked car for Kahne, and Busch came away with little damage.

It was the second straight event that the two had made contact. The last one, at Talladega, took Busch along for the ride. 

"I don't know what his deal is with me,'' Kahne said after finishing 17th. Kahne and Busch dueled for the lead 34 laps from the finish Saturday. Kahne edged by Busch in Turn 3, Busch moved ahead off Turn 4. They headed to turn 1 side by side. 

"He blew that entry into (Turn) 1," Kahne said. Busch went low into turn 1 but slid up the track. "I was like, "Oh shoot, oh shoot,'" Kahne said. "The car moved and then just spun out. I don't know if he actually touched me or not. If he would have just entered normal like he entered the whole race there would have been no issues and I would have been leading off 2. He just didn't want that to happen, so he blew turn 1. Whether he hit me or not, he still caused that whole deal with screwing up and just mind fade. He's had a few of them this year when I've been around him."

Busch, who lost the lead 13 laps from the end with what turned out to be a cut right rear tire, finished sixth and did not speak to the media following another gut-wrenching loss.

"No, he's pretty tore up that they're racing hard and (Kasey) Kahne tore up another car," crew chief Dave Rogers said on his driver's behalf. "This is the third time we've been involved in an incident with Kasey and all of us over here have a ton or respect for that program.  Kyle thinks the world of

Kasey Kahne and I think Kenny Francis (No. 5 crew chief) is a great guy and Kyle still has a ton of friends over there in the 5 car -- he used to drive that car -- has a ton of good buddies.  They all hang out.  He certainly doesn't want to create more work for those guys.  

"He was just really somber and disappointed that it happened, but unfortunately it's part of the sport. They were putting on a heck of race.  Kasey made a great move to pass us and Kyle was just trying to pass him back

and I don't know.  I can't tell if we touched or not, but it was obviously really close racing."

The NASCAR Spring All-Star race is up next for both drivers. There are no points awarded for that race, and it's an excellent place to deliver payback...if that's what you're intending, of course.