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Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, races alongside Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 RoushParts.com Ford, during the NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 14, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia.

Brad Keselowski is reflecting on the final time he saw Kyle Busch — and the unfinished rivalry the two NASCAR stars never got the chance to fully close.

In an emotional interview with People following Busch’s death at age 41, Keselowski shared details about a recent flight the two drivers took together after NASCAR All-Star Race weekend, along with the complicated competitive relationship that defined much of their careers.

For years, Busch and Keselowski were two of NASCAR’s fiercest competitors. Both champions built reputations around intensity, confidence and refusing to back down from confrontation, whether on the racetrack or away from it. Their rivalry produced memorable battles, controversial moments and a level of tension that often extended beyond Sundays.

But Keselowski’s comments revealed something else too: respect.

“I was flying to Dover last week with Kyle,” he told PEOPLE on Monday, May 25, sharing that “it was probably more by chance than anything else.”

The flight now carries an entirely different emotional weight after Busch’s death.

According to Keselowski, Busch did not seem like himself during the trip.

“And that was pretty much the last time I saw him. We were in a race and you get in a race and you don’t really see each other,” he said. “So I saw him on the racetrack.”

Brad Keselowski Says Rivalry With Kyle Busch Became Personal

Keselowski explained that Busch became more than just another driver in the field over the years. Their rivalry evolved into something deeply personal competitively, where each judged success partly through the other’s performance.

“For whatever reason, Kyle and I had built into a relationship where although there’s 30-some other drivers on the racetrack, I valued meeting him more than anyone else,” he shared. “Fifth place day and race is generally a good day. It’s not a great day, but it’s a good day. With a fifth place day where Kyle Busch finished fourth didn’t feel like a good day. And conversely, a 10th place day where I beat Kyle Busch felt like a better day.”

“That’s what a rivalry is at its core and that’s how I felt about it,” added Keselowski.

Their relationship was not built around friendship in the traditional sense. It was built around competition. Both drivers spent years trying to beat one another at the highest level of stock car racing, and that tension became part of what defined an era of NASCAR.

Busch’s death has now forced Keselowski to view that rivalry differently.

Keselowski Thought There Would Someday Be Closure

One of the most emotional parts of Keselowski’s interview centered around the realization that he and Busch will never get the chance to fully move beyond the rivalry they shared.

“I guess I had visions before his death of… actually, I thought about this multiple times: What’s it going to be like when we’re both in the Hall of Fame and we’re doing some kind of ceremony together, whatever that might be? Will the hatchet be buried? I think so,” he shared with PEOPLE. “And will we actually be able to share a laugh about it? I guess in my mind, I hope so and now obviously not.”

“The hard part is the closure was supposed to be when we were retired and when we were done racing together and I don’t think that’s just for me, by the way,” he later added. “I think that’s for a lot of people. And to not get that is tough.”

Keselowski also reflected on the uncomfortable nature of the rivalry while they were actively competing against one another.

“It’s the middle of the season head-on one-on-ones that we had at different racetracks, and knowing he was the guy to beat and I was the guy to beat him,” he continued. “And him knowing that, and kind of having that rivalry where we didn’t talk to each other.”

“And when we were in settings together, we stood on opposite ends of the room,” Keselowski added. “In the moment, that didn’t feel all that pleasant, but it sure beats the reality of today.”

Busch leaves behind one of the most decorated careers in NASCAR history, including two Cup Series championships and more than 200 national series wins. But Keselowski’s comments offered a more personal look at what Busch meant to the drivers who spent years battling him every single week.