Samantha Busch left “genuinely wondering” about NASCAR protocol after Kyle Busch’s wreck at the Daytona 500

Kyle Busch was embroiled in controversy at the Daytona 500 after a wreck left his car undamaged but unable to return to the race due to NASCAR's strict vehicle repair rules. His wife, Samantha Busch, took to social media to express her confusion and frustration over how the situation was handled.

Samantha Busch questioned NASCAR’s repair protocol on X. She highlighted that Kyle and his team had been yelling for officials not to hook up his car but to give it a push, yet their calls went unheard. Her post, directed at NASCAR reporters Bob Pockrass and Jeff Gluck, read:

"Driver, crew chief everyone yelling don’t hook it up just need a push yet no one listens?! I’m confused what’s the protocol here genuinely wondering? @bobpockrass @jeff_gluck do you know"

Kyle Busch crashed on Lap 186 of the Daytona 500 after Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact, triggering a multi-car wreck. Despite suffering only minor damage, Busch was forced to retire from the race due to NASCAR's Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP), leading to frustration for the driver and his team.

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NASCAR's Damaged Vehicle Policy left Kyle Busch unable to return

The NASCAR rulebook states that cars involved in a wreck must be repaired on a pit road within seven minutes. If additional work is needed, the car must go to the garage, with no time limit set for repairs. However, if a car is towed to the garage, it is deemed unfit to continue racing.

Busch's frustration stemmed from the fact that his car was still in good condition but was disqualified from returning to the track because it had been towed instead of pushed. This left many, including Samantha Busch, questioning the consistency of NASCAR's rules.

In his post-race interview with TSJ Sports' Noah Lewis, Kyle Busch expressed his disappointment with NASCAR’s unclear regulations, saying:

"I had four flat tires out there, and we had this air jack system in the car, mandatory by NASCAR, and the guy carries around an empty air bottle to plug up to the car. But he couldn't plug it up, so I made my own return to the pit road, said I wanted to push. So, they decided for three laps to figure out how to hook it up."

He further explained how his team assessed the damage and found no major issues, but the unclear protocol forced them out of the race. His major concern came out to be that despite being told to work on the car and repair it, had Busch gone back and attempted to repair it, he would've been told to park. Kyle Busch ended the interview by posing a question on the situation and how it should've been handled.