10 NASCAR Teammates Who Turned into Bitter Rivals

NASCAR Teammates Who Turned into Bitter Rivals

Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain

10. Rusty Wallace vs Darrell Waltrip

Both drove for Blue Max Racing in the late 1980s, and their relationship turned sour during Wallace’s rise to championship contention, leading to internal tension.

9. Darrell Waltrip vs Neil Bonnett

Teammates at Junior Johnson & Associates in the early 1980s. Their friendship deteriorated due to intense competition and disagreements within the powerhouse team.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs Kyle Busch

Teammates at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, their relationship was strained as Busch quickly left the team for Toyota and later clashed with Junior on track.

7. Kyle Busch vs Carl Edwards

Both raced together at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015–2016, but their rivalry carried over from earlier years when Edwards wrecked Busch multiple times, including their 2008 Bristol feud.

6. Matt Kenseth vs Kurt Busch

Teammates briefly at Roush Racing early in Busch’s career, their relationship became hostile after repeated on-track incidents and Busch’s aggressive reputation in the early 2000s.

5. Kevin Harvick vs Kurt Busch

Both drove for Stewart-Haas Racing and clashed at multiple tracks, including Darlington in 2014, where tensions boiled over after aggressive racing.

4. Tony Stewart vs Kurt Busch

Teammates at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, their relationship deteriorated quickly. Stewart publicly criticized Busch’s aggressive driving style, and the two had several heated exchanges.

3. Jeff Gordon vs Jimmie Johnson

Both drove for Hendrick Motorsports, and although the feud wasn’t public, tension grew as Johnson’s dominance overshadowed Gordon’s late-career championship chances, especially during the Chase era.

2. Kyle Busch vs Denny Hamlin

Teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, the two had a heated moment in 2010 at Darlington when Busch spun Hamlin during a late-race battle. Despite sharing a team, both drivers were extremely competitive and clashed multiple times.

1. Denny Hamlin vs Joey Logano

Teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, their relationship collapsed after the infamous 2013 Auto Club Speedway crash, where Hamlin wrecked Logano for blocking. The rivalry simmered for years with multiple confrontations and harsh comments.