Kyle Busch: 'No fixing' next generation of NASCAR drivers who 'would much rather crash than win'

There is no doubt about it, Kyle Busch does not appreciate the younger generation and the way they race on the track. Too aggressive, too intense, and too much wrecking. The two-time NASCAR champion has been very vocal about this topic in recent years.

In NASCAR and perhaps motorsports in general, there is a trend. A new, talented young driver comes into the upper ranks. They dazzle with incredible moves and at times, questionable decisions.

Then that young driver oversteps one day. Maybe does it a few times. Eventually, a veteran of the sport comes along and tries to reign them in. Give them advice on how to race.

For Kyle Busch, that was Tony Stewart. But those days are long gone. At least, according to Busch.

“That was the Mark Martin era, the Jeff Gordon era, the Tony Stewart era – you were there, the Harvick era,” Busch said to Kevin Harvick during a recent interview. “That was a different era than what we’re in today. People ask me all the time like, ‘Why don’t you take these kids under your wing and teach them and tell them.’ I’m like, we’re in a completely different era now. There is no fixing what we’ve got going right now with everybody running over everybody. They would much rather crash than win a race, I don’t get it.”

In recent years this has been a growing complaint among older drivers. They feel as though there is a lack of respect in races now. Not just in NASCAR but all the way down to the grassroots level in late models.

Right now there is one driver that Kyle Busch has a particular bone to pick. Carson Hocevar.

Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar beef goes years back

When it comes to the Kyle Busch and Carson Hocevar saga, it goes back further than Atlanta this year. The world of stock car racing is a small one in the grand scheme of things. And when it comes to being wronged on the track, drivers don’t forget easily.

Talking to Harvick during the interview, Busch brought up Hocevar. It isn’t just about Atlanta. It goes years back to when Hocevar was a young teenager racing in Michigan.

“So, the Hocevar problem, the biggest problem I have with him is when he was 13, 14 years old whatever it was, I was racing at one of his home tracks in Michigan with a super late model while I was a Cup guy,” Busch said. “… It was Kalamazoo. Lap 8, Lap 11 somewhere early in the race, like, I wasn’t that great but I was going to bide my time and I was just riding, right? Like, you ride. He comes right up alongside of me, sideswipes me, puts me into the frontstretch fence, and goes on. And I’m like, ‘What the hell just happened?’ Never nothing after the fact, never a sorry, ‘Hey, my bad.’ Like, same thing right now. He hasn’t learned not one thing because he hasn’t been under someone’s wing this entire time.”

Carson Hocevar isn’t going to be starting a boyband with Kyle Busch any time soon. I think we will see more electric moments from these two drivers this season.