Now Kyle Busch's side:

  Kyle Busch: man of many moods (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   CONCORD, N.C.
   Kyle Busch is still miffed at teammate Denny Hamlin, for that hard squeeze in Saturday night's All-Star race, during their battle for the $1 million. But he says he's got to get over it, because he and Hamlin have a championship to race for.
   Busch said he expected a little more courtesy from Hamlin in a clutch situation like that, even with that much money on the line.
    "Denny said 'It's the All-Star race, it's every man for himself.' And I wasn't under that impression going into the race," Busch said.
   However Busch conceded he would have never made a move like that against another rival, say Jeff Gordon.
   "It depends on who you're racing," Busch says. "Would I expect from Brad Keselowski or Jeff Gordon for that lane to stay open? Absolutely not. I wouldn't have put myself in that position knowing that. 
    "Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, would I expect that lane to be open?  Yeah.
    "You know who you're racing with, and you know what should and will transpire. 
    "That's why the surprise factor hit me -- because that didn't happen. 
    "There are guys out there who would close the door, and guys you think wouldn't close the door. 
    "My head of steam came from turn four. It all started back in turn four. 
     "I got a big run down the front stretch...looked to Denny's inside, faked him low...he pulled down to block me to go, to the bottom into the corner...and I jumped to the outside. 
    "I had my run going around to the outside, and he just kept drifting up the track.
    "It surprised me the way my teammate wanted to race me. 
    "I had a great shot to win the race, with a great race car, and my guys doing a phenomenal pit stop on that last pit stop -- I believe it was in the 11.40 (seconds) range. 
    "They gave me the opportunity to win, and we were going after it. 
     "Unfortunately, we ran out of race track, got in the fence, and tore up a perfectly good race car. 
    "I blew a right-front and destroyed the car; it's written off. 
       "Of course, I was heated after the incident.  It surprised me -- I wouldn't have expected my teammate to have raced me that way.
     "But he's the leader, he's got the race track (to run whatever line he wants), and I now understand that."
    And now?
    "I think that should have -- and could have -- gone a little bit differently," Busch said.
    "We now move on. We'll try to work towards the goal -- the championship. We have to work together, we're going to work together, and share our information the same as we always have."
     Still, there was an edge of doubt in his words.
    "I feel we can move on and work together....but a little dissatisfied with his quote about how I would have done the same thing," Busch said, "because you can't put words in a person's mouth. And I don't feel I would have done the same thing. 
     "I race with respect; I learned from Mark Martin and those guys. 
     "I've had my bad points, but since learning from Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and those guys, I feel I've gotten better."
       Busch and Hamlin talked immediately after the All-Star was over, with owner Joe Gibbs mediating.
    And they've all talked again since, and tested, and had dinner together.
     "I believe it's behind us, because we want to be able to win this championship, and working together is going to be the best thing for us," Busch said.
    "I took it myself to go straight to Denny's trailer (after the race) because I wanted to make sure it was handled right then and there. 
    "The Hendrick dispute (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon) earlier this year went a few weeks; they didn't get it taken care of right away.
     "We're a team, we need to work together, we need to keep things going forward, we're not going to let this get between the teams and divide the race shop.
      "This is about keeping everybody together, pulling for the same goals and going forward and trying to win this championship for Joe Gibbs Racing."

 
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  The best driver in NASCAR? Perhaps the most talented driver in NASCAR, but still a little rough around the edges (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)