RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece took aim at Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs during the 267-lap race.
Preece vented his frustration over 23-year-old Gibbs’ driving in an expletive-laden radio message.
“What a f***ing idiot this kid is,” said Preece.
“He is so lucky his car is so f***ing fast.
“All right, when I get to that #54 I’m done with him. F***ing idiot.
“That car is so f***ing fast. F***ing pisses me off. Stupid.
Secure your spot today.
“I can’t stand when idiots like him have fast race cars where they can do stupid shit and get away with it.
“End of rant.”
Big trouble for Ty Gibbs! https://t.co/UwuzcizHbH pic.twitter.com/q9QfjhUoJy
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 3, 2026
Preece, it seemed, was true to his word. Later in the race on Lap 102, Preece appeared to get into the back of Gibbs entering Turn 3 and spun the #54 Toyota Camry.
Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen had a good view of the incident.
“Holy shit! He just committed a murder,” the Kiwi laughed.
“It looks like he just full-throttled him.”
Preece went on to finish 14th while Gibbs was a non-finisher, classified 36th.
“I’ll be honest with you, I hate that he wrecked, but decisions you make on the race track, there are repercussions, and I try to race everybody with an amount of respect that I like in return,” Preece told Frontstretch post-race.
“When you don’t do that, I’m not going to cut you a break. That’s what happened.”
“And then he just wrecks him.”
Here’s what happened between John Hunter Nemechek and Kyle Busch coming to the white flag at Texas. pic.twitter.com/yoiFoZYtl7
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 3, 2026
That was the first of two noteworthy incidents. The other was on the penultimate lap when Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch clashed with John Hunter Nemechek of Legacy Motor Club.
Busch and Nemechek made contact on the back stretch, which tipped the #8 Chevrolet Camaro sideways and into the parallel wall.
Seemingly upset, Busch appeared to drive up the road and into the path of the #43 Toyota Camry as Nemechek tried to go around at the subsequent turn.
Nemechek crashed out of the race and with it lost a finish on the cusp of the top 10.
Busch, who was also on course to finish just outside of the top 10, wound up 20th.
“Not freaking clear,” Nemechek wrote on social media in response to the clash.
“Great day going. and just got wrecked. What an ass.”
Busch fired back at Nemechek for not giving him enough racing room.
“I did not start this,” he wrote.
“The 42 apparently doesn’t know where the [right side] of his car is and where he is in relation to the outside wall.
“There was two feet outside him and I was judging my left side tyres to the hash marks.
“Always know who you’re racing beside.”
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