Kyle Busch. Love him or hate him.
And, in this case, defend him.
Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. came to Busch's defense after this Sunday win in the Apache 400 at Dover. Chase Elliott couldn't hold off Busch, and a very disappointed Elliott missed out on the first race of his career.
After Wallace posted this on Twitter:
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) October 1, 2017
Another fan responded:
Just another reason to hate Kyle "WineAss" Busch
— Sean (@dadde1125) October 1, 2017
Yes, he meant "whine ass," but Twitter is not the place for spelling champs.
To which Wallace defended his colleague:
Why? Because he's good? Because he didnt let chase win? I wouldn't have let him eithere.. hate me too? https://t.co/oUouEI04HD
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) October 1, 2017
Touche.
Elliott was so very close to winning the first race of his career, but Busch passed him with two laps to go for his second consecutive victory.
Busch had led earlier in the race and had been lingering throughout the final stage, and he finally surpassed Elliott near the end. It is Busch's fourth win of the season, which ties him with Kyle Larson and moves him within one of Martin Truex Jr. in both wins and in the standings.
.@KyleBusch passed Chase Elliott with two laps remaining to win a thriller at @MonsterMile! #NASCARPlayoffs #Rowdy18 pic.twitter.com/q7TvxwvJNS
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 1, 2017
Related: Four drivers are heading into their final stage of the season after Stage 2 at Dover
Larson won the second stage of the race, while Brad Keselowski won the first stage.
Elliott finished second, followed by 11-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson in third, Martin Truex Jr. in fourth and Larson in fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daniel Suarez, Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski.
Elliott said after the race he needed to do something different to hold off Busch and that he was disappointed in himself for not winning the race.
So close to that first win, @ChaseElliott. #NASCARPlayoffs #2the4ront pic.twitter.com/zIuQ6VBv6a
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 1, 2017
It was a tough conclusion to the race for Elliott, but he can at least take solace in the fact that he will be moving on to the Round of 12. He'll have at least three more races to attempt to win his first race of the season to advance to the next round.
As for Busch, he has been in the best driver in the sport over the last several weeks. While he's second in the standings behind Truex, Busch might be the favorite to win the championship at this point in the year.