Busch-Keselowski contact dents chances for win

Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch will look to the replay to help understand what happened between the two Sunday at Watkins Glen. But it was clear the contact between the two didn't help their chances of winning the I Love New York 355.

With Keselowski on the inside and Kyle Busch charging up the outside lane, the two made contact entering the bus stop on Lap 45, sending both drivers spinning off course. The contact ended up being hard enough that Busch and Keselowski had to pit for fresh tires and allow their respective teams to pull out the fenders.

Heated in the moment, Busch told his team over the radio, "Y'all better keep me away from that f***er after the race."

Before that last caution, trouble for@KyleBuschand@Keselowski! Will we see retaliation? Tune into@NBCSN!#NASCARonNBCSN#ILoveNY355pic.twitter.com/TlNTSxfOTu— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC)August 6, 2017

Busch rebounded for a seventh-place finish. Keselowski had to pit for fuel from the lead with four laps to go. He was then penalized for driving through too many pit stalls and finished 15th.

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Neither driver approached the other to talk after the race.

"I was going in the corner, I had the 47 (AJ Allmendinger) behind me, and I got to the corner and my spotter said somebody [was] there, and I had already got to the corner and we just ... by then I was already committed," Keselowski said of the accident.

"I think he was probably committed. Looked like he tried to make a big move from a couple car lengths back and it was more than what there was room for, for all of us. Probably didn't help either one of us; it was a bummer. But all in all, we fought back to get the most we could out of it. It is what it is."

As for whether he was warned there might be some trouble, Keselowski acknowledged no driver is going to be happy after making contact.

"It didn't help my day at all either, I can tell you that," Keselowski said. "I wasn't looking to get into him and I don't think he was looking to get into me. He probably had the dominant car. He didn't need any trouble. Neither did I."

Busch started on the pole and led the entire first stage for his ninth stage win of the season. Followed by reporters as he left pit road, Busch gave a brief answer when asked what happened.

"Couldn't tell you," Busch said. "I hadn't seen it."

Sunday was also not the first time Keselowski and Busch had gotten together at Watkins Glen. In 2012, Busch went for a spin off the nose of Keselowski on the final lap while racing for the lead (seen in the video below at the 10:49 mark).

Said Keselowski: "This is a track where you fight for inches and we both are probably not willing to give in on it."