DOVER, Del. — Brad Keselowski is sick of the way Kyle Busch’s churlish behavior is often linked as an excuse for his desire to win.

Keselowski criticized on Twitter this week those who applauded Busch’s curt six-word answer to a post-race question and mic drop and chalked up the response to Busch’s hate of losing.

“When people go out and write articles or the media comes out and says that’s a reflection of him having the most desire to win, it makes me want to throw up,” Keselowski said Saturday. “Not only is that a terrible message to send to anyone who’s aspiring to be a part of the sport, it’s a terrible message to send to anybody in general in this world, that it’s a reflection of your desire to win.”

Busch, crushed after a runner-up finish in the marquee Coca-Cola 600, conceded Friday that while everyone handles defeat in different ways, “mine has never been very gracious.” Keselowski wrote on Twitter, “I was taught to hate losing by working harder next time, not by being disrespectful to others.”

Keselowski, who has two wins headed into today’s race at Dover International Speedway, wants to send a positive message to his family and fans with gracious conduct in defeat.

“When I look at teams and people in this sport they all want to be associated with those who have the strongest hunger and desires and passions to be successful. That’s natural. That includes myself,” he said. “That message to convey, whether it’s through the media or through different mouthpieces is a terrible message that has serious effects...”