Edwards, Busch move on, hard feelings still remain

FONTANA, Calif. -- Kyle Busch insists there are no problems between him and Carl Edwards. They're friends, he says. Best friends.

"I might text him later so we can go get some In-N-Out Burger," Busch said sarcastically Friday at Auto Club Speedway just before practice. "No, wait. He doesn't eat that stuff probably. Maybe salads."

Play nice, boys

NASCAR has placed Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards on probation for the next six races.

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Their haulers are parked beside each other in the garage, but the tone of Busch's comments left little doubt that the two most successful drivers this season are not as close as their transporters. That evidence came to a head last week at Bristol, when Edwards' bump-and-run pass of Busch was ultimately the race-winning move. On the cool-down lap, Busch bumped the side of Edwards while Edwards retaliated by spinning Busch (watch video).

Edwards refused to apologize for the action, saying he thought if the roles were reversed that Busch would do the same to him -- and that he had in the past, pointing to a previous race at Richmond earlier this season (watch video).

But Busch said that's not true.

"It's kind of the reason why I didn't go get payback right away," he said when asked if he would have bumped Edwards. "I could have easily just drove off into Turn 3 and tore him right in the left-side quarterpanel and spun him out. I didn't do that. I tried to race him clean and get back by him. I got bogged down by Denny [Hamlin] and we started racing a little bit. I never laid a tire mark on him and got back by him. But it was too late to run down Carl.

"People always say that I'm out there running into people and knocking them out of the way. I'm not doing it on purpose, I'm telling you."

Both drivers were given a six-week probation period by NASCAR on Wednesday for their post-race antics. Neither discussed the conversations they had with NASCAR officials, but they did offer their opinions on what the discipline meant.

"I don't think it means that if you get into another driver and spin him out that you're going to get suspended for a race," Busch said. "I think it has to do with the way that you got on probation, that if you do the same thing that you did again that the repercussions are going to go up with possibly a suspension or something like that. Keep your post-race antics down to a minimum. I would have to get the correct wording from NASCAR if I took out another driver if I would get suspended for it, but I don't believe that's the case."

Edwards said it's more about keeping emotions in check.

"As a driver, you should never let your emotions get you. But we do, you know. All of us do," Edwards said. "So probation is one of those things with my crew chief in my ear, and Jack [Roush] making sure I don't go out there and do something dumb. I'm not worried about being on probation. I just have to be a little extra careful not to let my emotions get the best of me."

Busch and Edwards were placed on probation as a precautionary measure to warn the drivers that their actions were tolerated, but that the intensity between the two should not escalate, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. In other words, don't let the rift spill over into on-track activity.

Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch set the precedent for this type of punishment earlier this season after the two tangled during Budweiser Shootout practice in February's Speedweeks at Daytona. Busch had tried to block Stewart in the draft but got hit from behind by Stewart. Busch then slammed into the side of Stewart's car three times as the two drove back to the garage, where Stewart blocked Busch from entering the garage. Their six-race probation came because they deliberately used their cars as battering rams (watch video).

Following that preseason altercation, Poston said the definition of probation is going to be harsher on the drivers this season.

"In the past we've used 'probation for the rest of the year,' but it's never been something that's been exercised," Poston said back in February. "It never seemed to really mean anything. Now we are going to take action. If you are on probation for an altercation with another driver, and you have a second incident during that probation period, we are going to take action."

By the time Edwards and Kyle Busch arrived in Fontana, Calif., the focus was back on the racetrack for the most part. Edwards led Friday's opening practice session, and Busch was sixth.

"It's just emotions coming to a head," said Jimmie Johnson, who sits fourth in points behind Busch, Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Both guys know what they have on the line. The probation is something that will be far back in their minds, but it's not going to change how they race and what they do."

Edwards agreed.

"All that stuff doesn't matter to me; we're here to race," Edwards said of the off-track dance with Busch. "It was really good, hard racing and what happened afterwards is the stuff that happens at racetracks every week. This is NASCAR saying, 'Look, you've got to take it easy.'"