Kyle Busch’s quest to break his winless streak came crashing down in a dramatic fashion on Sunday. After leading the race with aspirations of claiming his first victory in over 50 attempts, Busch’s hopes were dashed when he spun out with just 32 laps remaining.
This marked yet another instance of misfortune for the two-time NASCAR champion, adding to a season plagued by frustrating missed opportunities.
The spin happened as Busch attempted to lap Chase Briscoe, only to find himself in a precarious spot aerodynamically that cost him control of his car. The incident resulted in Busch dropping to 19th position by the end of the race, leaving analysts’ jaws on the floor. NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, hosts of “The Teardown” podcast from The Athletic, offered their insight.
“Kyle Busch is probably the chief person of that category who is ruing what could have been.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
“The guy who is trying to extend his record victory streak in terms of consecutive years with a win, to 20, and it was within his grasp, and it all slipped away when he was trying to lap Chase Briscoe.
“What a moment there that was fairly shocking I was like, ‘Woah, what just happened?'” Gluck said.
Bianchi further admitted that Busch’s struggles are emblematic of a larger trend among top drivers grappling with the driving features of the Next Gen car. While other veterans like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano have also at times struggled to control the car, they have managed to secure wins, unlike Busch. Bianchi elaborated on Busch’s struggle with his machinery, pointing out his inconsistency in being a legitimate contender this season, minus maybe his performances at Darlington and Atlanta.
“We’re going to talk about the others but this was one of many times today where drivers either leading or running up near the front had issues, and this was because of what Kyle Busch is racing for.
“He really has had a year where he hasn’t been in contention for many wins. Obviously, Darlington and Atlanta come to mind as exceptions. But this really felt, like, ‘Okay, here is it, here’s the opportunity.’
“Chastain was there, now whether he could have held off Chastain or not, we don’t know. Certainly a missed opportunity absolutely and speaks to I think a bigger issue that’s been an issue for Kyle Busch since this new car.
“Which is, I don’t think his skillset is adapting well to this and it’s been a struggle for him sometimes to get his hand around it,” Bianchi stated.
This latest race only adds to a series of disappointments for Busch over the past three seasons. With six more races left in the season to aim for a victory and potentially break his winless streak before 2024 concludes, the pressure is on.
