Despite a streak of misfortune and a 60-race spell without a Cup Series victory, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is far from being out of the race. The 2024 season may have marked a low point in Busch’s career, with no wins, a missed playoff appearance, and the end of his 19-year streak of at least one win per year. However, the seasoned driver is heading into the new year with renewed optimism and a determination to reverse his fortunes.
Recently, Busch had a chance to end his winless streak at the Circuit of the Americas. However, a poorly timed caution and worn-out tires resulted in a 5th place finish. In a twist of fate, Christopher Bell, who had finished second on the same track the previous year, managed to overtake Busch, marking his second consecutive win since the start of the season.
Busch’s season kicked off on a sour note with disappointment at the Daytona 500, a trophy he has yet to claim. Despite being among the leaders for most of the race, a late wreck dashed his hopes of victory. A week later, he clocked the 7th fastest time at Atlanta Motor Speedway, before finishing 5th at COTA. Despite this run of bad luck, Busch’s after-race comments revealed a surprising sense of optimism.
Instead of lamenting his losses, the experienced driver chose to focus on the positives. He informed Wendy Venturini, “If we can keep getting top fives and leading laps like that, the wins will come.” Busch identified fading grip as the major factor behind his loss, which left him vulnerable to Bell, Byron, Reddick, and Elliott, all of whom were sporting fresher tires.
In a previous encounter at COTA, Bell had spun Busch out of control, leading to a stern warning from the Richard Childress Racing driver. Remarking on this past incident, Bell stated after the recent race, “I didn’t want to do that again. And I wasn’t going to put myself in jeopardy to make contact and ruin his race.”
Ironically, the late caution flag which turned the tides against Busch was brought out by a collision between Austin Dillon, Busch’s teammate, and Denny Hamlin, Bell’s teammate. The resulting caution allowed Byron and Bell to close the gap to Busch, who was disadvantaged by earlier pit stops and older tires.
Despite these setbacks, Busch was still in good shape on the restart, managing to pull away initially. Nevertheless, as the race progressed and his tires wore down, Bell managed to overtake him.
While conspiracy theories suggest Hamlin’s collision was a deliberate attempt to give his teammate an advantage, the truth remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that Bell has claimed another victory and is on the brink of making history at the Phoenix Raceway next weekend.
Despite his string of misfortunes, Busch’s determination and optimistic outlook offer a ray of hope. His recent performances suggest that it’s only a matter of time before he gets back on the winning track.