The NASCAR weekend at Kansas revealed a little bit of animosity between Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Rowdy didn’t appreciate the comments Hamlin made on his podcast after the Bristol race. He even alluded to the fact that he could mess with Denny on the track.
Kevin Harvick has weighed in on the drama this week on his own podcast. Happy Harvick was one of the most fiery and intense drivers back in his day. He wasn’t willing to put up with anything. But in his older age, he’s softened a little bit.
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Harvick talked about the tension between Hamlin and Busch and what his reaction might have been had he been in Rowdy’s shoes.
Kyle Busch waits ahead of qualifying for the Truck Series at Atlanta. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I think that Denny delivered it pretty bluntly on his podcast,” Harvick said. “I think he gave a little more in depth of what he thinks of Kyle on the prerace show and the things that he said. And look, the situation with Kyle is tough with where they are from a performance standpoint. Denny also said the exact same thing that we all think, we want to see Kyle Busch win. Kyle Busch winning is good for the sport.
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“Kyle Busch isn’t going to win right now, you know, right? Because the cars are not running good. Kyle Busch is still capable of driving those cars. You know, two, three years ago, he was winning in the Gen 7 car. So, I don’t know where it is. You have no idea where it is until you see Kyle in a competitive car. But right now we’re going to see if Kyle’s leadership skills are there.”
While Kevin Harvick doesn’t think Denny Hamlin was out of line in his comments, he also understands where Kyle Busch is coming from. That old version of Harvick wouldn’t have taken it.
“I didn’t take Denny’s comments as bad as, if I was Kyle I would have taken them how Kyle took them. I would have been pissed,” Harvick said. “I’d have probably run him over on the race track at some point like we did at Dover way back when, but I react differently to things. So, I like both the guys now, I like Denny Hamlin and I like Kyle Busch but, you know, 2006 I probably would have smashed him.”
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
