Kevin Harvick expresses disbelief on Kyle Busch, Hendrick talk: 'He basically got thrown off Hendrick'

Kyle Busch made major waves this week when asked at Iowa about his future and whether he might consider a return to Joe Gibbs Racing or Hendrick Motorsports, refusing to throw cold water on the idea.

At least one prominent voice is calling his bluff when it comes to Hendrick, in particular.

“He threw out the Hendrick piece of it, too. I mean he basically got thrown out of Hendrick, right?” said Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “When he was driving the Xfinity car and everything they had going on there. So I’m very confused. I’m so confused about making those comments about driving at Gibbs and Hendrick, because I just, I don’t know what that does for you in making your situation better at RCR.”

Kyle Busch remains under contract with Richard Childress Racing, and though this season has been incredibly frustrating for Busch, he still has to uphold the terms of his deal.

Making comments about other teams is something that can cause serious chemistry issues on his own team.

But Busch did so anyway when asked about a potential return to one of his previous teams.

“I would say anything is possible, always,” Kyle Busch said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “Certainly, if I was welcomed I would go back, if Hendrick welcomed me back I’d go back. But right now I’m at RCR with my group of guys and the deal I have right now in place. So, we’re trying to work and build this program and make RCR great again.”

Busch is currently below the cut line for the playoffs, having failed to win a race and having several subpar finishes this year, including a 35th-place finish at Iowa.

So it’s pretty natural for Busch to be entertaining ideas of going to another team. But his deal has an option for 2025 and doesn’t end until after that if the option is exercised. That’s a long time to be in a potentially uncomfortable position with your current team.

“That’s my concern. My concern is RCR and his team and the position that it puts them in just not being 100% sure that in your answer, in what you say, because the perception is gonna be 9/10 of what you think,” Harvick said. “Now the door’s open. The door has been blown completely wide open as to what all this means for Kyle Busch and RCR. Is he peeking over his shoulder, looking to go somewhere else? But I personally don’t see a scenario where he goes back to Hendrick or Gibbs.”