NASCAR got a major hit of publicity on Thursday when two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch appeared on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show.
It was a wide-ranging conversation that included the state of the sport, what makes NASCAR interesting right now compared to something like Formula 1, and the interpersonal dynamics of the Cup Series. McAfee also praised Busch for his willingness to walk up to Joey Logano and punch him in the face after the spring 2017 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Busch also shared his disillusionment with the next generation of drivers and said the state of the on-track product would be much-improved if things were settled with the occasional right or left hook.
“Last week there was a couple of crashes, a couple of guys were pissed off at each other,” Busch told McAfee, “but I think the last guy to throw a punch was me so no fights have really happened lately. But it probably should, things would get settled a lot quicker.”
Busch said race craft has eroded over the past decade.
“The younger generation is all about crashing before winning, so they tend to just throw it into the corner alongside of you and just wipe you out more times than not,” Busch said.
During the interview, he also called Formula 1 “boring” and equated it a “champagne” sport where NASCAR was a “beer” sport.
McAfee doubled down on it, which was notable because ESPN pays $90 million a year for the broadcast rights to Formula 1 in the United States, but also reflects the unscripted nature of the show.
He called the reigning champion, Max Verstappen, ‘Vanderstoppen.’
“19 of the last 20 races is Vanderstoppen …”
McAfee
“That sounds like a watch.”
Busch
“He probably has one. So, the Vanderstoppen watch and the Vanderstoppen dominance has just become so boring to watch. He’ll win the pole and then the races are like time trials … we watch you guys (NASCAR), we’re four wide! We’re four-wide sometimes!”
McAfee
You can watch the complete conversation below.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.