The NASCAR Cup Series has seen its share of spicy media moments, but few match Kyle Busch’s legendary stonewall at the 2021 Bucked Up 200 Truck race in Las Vegas. When Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass pushed Busch to explain a track spin, he fired back with a blunt “Nope” three times in a row, shutting the interview down cold.
That clip exploded online, painting Busch as the king of no-nonsense pressers. Some called it dodging, others saw it as sidestepping a penalty trap. Either way, it added another chapter to Busch’s saga of sharp-tongued media run-ins, a playbook that Joe Gibbs Racing’s young gun, Ty Gibbs, seems to have studied.
Fast-forward to the 2025 Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Gibbs found himself in the hot seat after a heated clash with teammate Denny Hamlin. During Stage 2, as Hamlin battled for playoff position, Gibbs, out of the postseason but racing hard, got in his way.
When reporters pressed Gibbs post-race about Hamlin’s frustration and what JGR’s internal talks might look like, he channeled Busch’s brevity, “It’s unfortunate. But, I’m excited to go race next week.”
No deep dive, no blame game, just a quick pivot to the future, sparing Grandpa Joe’s team any more embarrassment. It was a classic move to keep the focus off JGR’s dirty laundry and on the next race.