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Did Kevin Harvick punch Kurt Busch on pit road at Talladega?

Jeff Gluck
USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Harvick

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Kevin Harvick confronted Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch on pit road after Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, appearing to lean into Busch’s car and initiate physical contact.

Harvick apparently was upset that Busch hit the No. 4 car on the cool-down lap; it’s unclear why Busch was angry with Harvick. Busch finished fourth while Harvick was seventh, and both drivers advanced to the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But NBC Sports Network later showed footage of a confrontation, which occurred while Busch still was sitting in his car.

Kevin Harvick confronts Kurt Busch after contact on cool down lap

“He cleaned the side of our car out after the checkered flag,” Harvick told NBCSN. “All in all, the team did a great job. Didn’t have a scratch on it until then. That’s pretty good for Talladega.”

Harvick was asked if Busch provided an explanation and said, “Not really.”

Busch told NBCSN Harvick had “a misunderstanding of the call at the end of the race.”

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“He’ll understand it and I’m sure he’ll clear it up in his interview,” Busch said. “We’re great teammates, we’re going good together. We have to work together to beat all these other teams out there and he knows that.”

This isn’t a new situation for Harvick, who punched Jimmie Johnson in the motorhome lot after last year’s Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway. But Harvick and Johnson weren’t teammates, while he and Busch represent SHR’s remaining chances to win a championship.

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck