If there's one NASCAR driver who can keep himself in the headlines while running mid-pack, it's Kyle Busch.

The two-time Cup Series champ finished off Sunday's race at Texas in controversial style, appearing to intentionally wreck John Hunter Nemechek just before the white flag to end the pair's battle for 12th place. After the race though, he appeared to pin the blame for the altercation on the Legacy Motor Club driver.

The pair got together on corner exit, with Busch moving up before fully clearing the No. 42 and both thumping into the wall, but it was the second part of the sequence – with the No. 8 veering up and fully wrecking Nemechek in apparent retaliation at the next corner – that drew attention.

Busch continued to the finish, clearly with damage to his car, to end what had been a strong afternoon in 20th place as the last car on the lead lap.

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Busch hits out at criticism of Texas wreck

Nemechek posted a short, sharp message expressing his displeasure on Twitter once he was out and clear, writing: "Not freaking clear. Great day going, and just got wrecked. What an ass."

Busch subsequently reposted a FOX clip of the incident along with a screenshot of some SMT data, writing indignantly: "I did not start this. The 42 apparently doesn’t know where the RS of his car is and where he is in relation to the outside wall.

"There was 2 ft outside him and I was judging my left side tires to the hash marks. Always know who your [sic] racing beside."

The Richard Childress Racing veteran's phrasing, that he didn't 'start this', seems to back up the idea that the second contact between the pair was deliberate retaliation.

Busch jumped back on social media a couple of hours later to call out a fan (who had not tagged the driver in his tweet, or quoted his tweet) who wrote: "I get [Busch] was expecting JHN to be higher, but you can’t drive based off where you want the other guy to be. You have to drive based on where he actually is. I’m not even trying to be mean but more accountability might stop this from repeatedly occurring."

The 41-year-old reposted that opinion, and hit back: "How do u know where they are when their [sic] in your blind spot smart guy? Every situation the guy behind is on my RR. How can I see that? I thought it was always the guy behind at fault for running into you? They have 2 pedals and a steering wheel too."

'Disappointing end' to Busch's day

In post-race comments released by Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet, and before he jumped onto social media to post up a storm, Busch was (unsurprisingly) significantly less combative.

“Disappointing end to the day for the No. 8 zone Watermelon Chevrolet team," he said, "but we are making steps in the right direction.

"We ran in the top-10 for most of the race today at Texas Motor Speedway, and started the weekend with a solid sixth-place qualifying effort. Unfortunately, we ended up with right-front damage after contact battling for position on the final lap. It turned our top-10 day into a 20th-place result.”

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