Kyle Busch wishes NASCAR had an 'Idiot Award' after seeing counterfeit part from Stewart-Haas Racing

If you ask Kyle Busch, the Stewart-Haas Racing team didn’t just mess up, they made a mistake worthy of an award. While it is an award that no one would want, Busch thinks NASCAR needs to give out a “What An Idiot Award” just for moments like this.

On Saturday, NASCAR officials at Sonoma Raceway showed the counterfeit part that was pulled from Chase Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang after Charlotte. The car was taken to the Research & Development Center for further inspection after the Coca-Cola 600.

After reviewing the vehicle, tearing it down, and scanning the parts the illegal piece was found. Turns out it was a duct on the engine panel designed to keep the inside of the car from overheating.

According to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, Busch was beside himself after seeing the part. There were multiple red flags that let NASCAR know something just wasn’t right.

“I wish we had a ‘What An Idiot Award,'” Busch said. “Even if you can’t find that part, you can call one of the other race teams and say, ‘Hey, you guys got this? Can we buy it from you?’ That blows my mind.”

The driver continued. “What’s crazy about it though, is all the penalties that have come out of the tech center, I guarantee you that you could take 15 (cars) after every single race and there would be something wrong with 14 of them. It’s all the tricks…and what you can get away with.”

More Kyle: "What's crazy about it though is all the penalties that have come out of the tech center, I guarantee you that you could take 15 (cars) after every single race and there would be something wrong with 14 of them. It's all the tricks…and what you can get away with."

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 10, 2023

While Kyle Busch couldn’t believe it, it sounds like he knows what goes on. NASCAR teams are all about pushing the limits. However, you’d think teams would be more subtle about their decisions. After seeing the counterfeit part, it does seem silly that it happened.

Can Kyle Busch pull off back-to-back wins?

Last week Kyle Busch dominated at Gateway. He won the pole, led the most laps, fought off five late restarts and came away with the win. So, can he do it again, this time on the road? What Gateway showed us is that drivers who are good at braking, shifting, and not afraid to dive into the turns were successful. That sounds a lot like road course racing, no?

Of course, no oval will compare to the winding road of a course like Sonoma. But this is a track that Busch has had success at. It was the place he won his first race after breaking his leg in 2015. He then went on to win the Cup Series championship that year.

With his history at the track and coming off of a strong weekend last week, what is next for Rowdy? He seems to have a new air about him with this RCR team. With three wins on the season, it would be hard to rain on Busch’s parade.

If Kyle Busch is going to win this weekend he will have to earn it. Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, and AJ Allmendinger will all be vying for the win. Those Trackhouse Racing cars could find a groove on the road like they did a year ago and surprise folks, again.

Can Rowdy get it done once again in Wine Country?