Stenhouse: ‘With Busch running his mouth, I felt like I didn't need to call him’

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leaned into Kyle Busch’s window during qualifying Friday night at Kentucky Speedway, but it wasn’t to give Busch the apology he was seeking.

“I just told him why I didn’t reach out,” Stenhouse said. “Felt like he ran his mouth enough on his radio and then after the race that I really didn’t have anything to say to him. I honestly feel like I normally do reach out to people when I make mistakes, and I clearly made a mistake, but with him running his mouth I just felt like I really didn’t need to call him. So, I just let him know that.

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“I told him that hey, you’re right, you do run a lot further up front, but I was like, pick and choose your battles wisely because you will have to deal with me sometime, whether you’re lapping me, or we get our cars better and we’re up there racing with you. Told him if he wanted to keep running his mouth he could come over and do it around me, and I’ll stop it.”

Busch had been asked earlier in the day during his media availability whether Stenhouse had reached out to him during the week. After saying no, Busch said he was disappointed he didn’t hear from Stenhouse because he wrecked half the field and acted like he didn’t care.

Stenhouse turned Busch after hitting him in the left rear in Turn 4, starting a multi-car accident on Lap 66.

In the immediate aftermath of last weekend’s race, Stenhouse did take responsibility for the wrecks.

Having now approached Busch, Stenhouse was asked if things were now over between them, to which Stenhouse said, “Yeah, I’m fine. But if he wants to keep running his mouth, he can come over and do it to me.”