Drivers Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. exchanged fresh barbs -- even pulling Earnhardt's fans into it -- ahead of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.
At the same time, General Motors -- now reorganizing in bankruptcy court -- confirmed that it is further paring its support of NASCAR teams driving Chevrolets, which include the No.88 Chevy driven by Earnhardt for Hendrick Motorsports. Chrysler's Dodge unit has done the same.
And the Michigan speedway acknowledged that while it hopes to draw about 100,000 to Sunday's race, its attendance is likely to drop 20% or more from a year earlier because of the economy that's also pummeled the automakers.
All of which coincidentally was taking place not far from Detroit, home of the major U.S. car companies.
But slumping auto sales and sports economics were not what Busch and Earnhardt bickered about.
Their spat started with Busch responding to outrage over his decision to smash his trophy, a specially painted guitar, in Victory Lane after winning last weekend's Nationwide race in Nashville, Tenn.
Busch, the 24-year-old Las Vegas native who nurtures his reputation as NASCAR's bad boy at every opportunity, said he was merely acting like some rock stars and wanted to give the guitar's pieces to his crew members.
Controversy reigned. Some thought Busch was rude, insensitive and childish. Others shrugged, saying it was Busch being Busch and, besides, it's his trophy to do with as he pleases.
On Friday, Busch met with reporters and acknowledged that it "certainly drew the ire of the fans" but that he didn't regret doing it and "thought it was fun."
But he couldn't leave it at that.
"A lot of people hated it, and I guess those are the ones with 88 tattooed on their arm," referring to Earnhardt's car number. "I've got no issues with Junior; it's his fans that are crazy, but that's all right."
Now Busch had taken a swipe at NASCAR's most popular driver for the second time in three weeks. After Hendrick replaced the 88 team's crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., in late-May because of Earnhardt's slump this season, Busch remarked, "It's never Junior, it's always the crew chief."
Busch used to drive for Hendrick, too, but was released after the 2007 season to make room for Earnhardt, with Busch moving to Joe Gibbs Racing.
So Earnhardt -- the defending winner of Sunday's race in Michigan -- found himself having to respond to Busch again Friday.
