"We put that totally behind us": When Richard Childress and Kyle Busch moved past their infamous brawl to form a winning team

In June 2023, Richard Childress and Kyle Busch celebrated their third NASCAR Cup Series win together at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois.

However, they were once involved in a brawl that started in 2011 when the veteran owner grabbed Busch following a Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway. In a confrontation in the garage area, Childress allegedly removed his watch, handed it to grandson Austin Dillon, and punched Busch, who ended up defensively ducking to the ground. The scuffle cost the team owner $150,000 in fines, but he dodged a suspension.

However, after ending his 15-year term with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch joined RCR in 2023. Their rapprochement began during contract talks ahead of that season, and following the No. 8 team's win in Madison, Childress repeated that they had truly moved on from that incident.

"Yeah, we put that totally behind us. We talked about it. That was one of the first things we talked about. That's history. We've both grown a lot. I know I've grown up. I've grown older, but I've grown up, too. There's an old song out there, 'I'm still growing up but I’m getting older,'" Richard Childress said (via Associated Press).

The altercation in 2011 sparked when Busch and RCR rookie Joey Coulter battled aggressively for fifth place on the track. Busch decided not to take any legal action against the owner.

Our plan is to win a lot with Kyle: Richard Childress

Richard Childress began racing in 1969 and founded RCR shortly after. As a team owner, his legendary partnership with Dale Earnhardt won him six NASCAR Cup Series titles and 67 races from 1986 to 1994. RCR later expanded into multiple series and became the first team to win championships in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series.

The team also has over 250 wins across the three top series, and Childress has hoped to add more with Busch in 2023.

"He's such a pleasure to work with. ... I want to keep Kyle here, and hopefully we can end his career when he gets ready to," Richard Childress said (via AP). "You know, we won a lot with Harvick, won a lot with Earnhardt. Our plan is to win a lot with Kyle and not only be a contender for that championship. If we make the final four, we'll have a shot at winning it for sure," he added.

Kyle Busch, who won three races during his first year with RCR at Fontana, Talladega, and Gateway, has failed to reach victory since. He has one top-5 finish after the first 16 races of the 2025 season and is on a 74‑race winless streak.

Busch is under contract with RCR until next season.

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Edited by Rupesh