NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin is casting doubts on whether his former teammate, Kyle Busch, can keep his remarkable winning streak alive in 2024. Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has won at least one race in every season for the past two decades, but this year, driving the No. 8 car for Richard Childress Racing, he’s struggled to find the winner’s circle. After missing out on the playoffs and facing a string of disappointing performances, Busch’s streak is in serious jeopardy, with only six races remaining to salvage it.
A Season of Frustration: The Struggles of the No. 8 Team
The 2024 NASCAR season has been one of frustration for Busch and his team. Close calls have often ended in disaster, with the No. 8 car rarely looking like a race-winning contender. Hamlin, speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, pointed out that while Busch remains one of the most capable drivers on the grid, the car simply hasn’t been competitive enough to get him to victory lane.
“I think that, certainly what’s most likely is the streak is over,” Hamlin said, before adding that he wouldn’t completely count Busch out. “He’s a capable enough driver. No one’s questioning, ‘Does Kyle Busch still have it?’”
For Hamlin, the problem lies not with Busch’s driving ability, but with the inconsistency of the No. 8 car. He believes Busch may be harder on himself than anyone in the racing community, but it’s the equipment under-delivering that’s causing the lackluster results. “They’re gaining on the speed that they need to compete, but it’s just not happening often enough,” Hamlin said.
The Struggle for Consistency
Throughout the 2024 season, Hamlin has analyzed Busch’s struggles, and he believes the No. 8 team hasn’t shown the consistency needed to contend for wins. While there have been flashes of competitive pace, Hamlin pointed out that Busch’s team hasn’t put together a sustained push toward the front of the grid.
“When we talked earlier in the season, I asked, ‘What makes you think he’s going to win a race?’ There’s nothing,” Hamlin said bluntly. “As far as winning on pure speed, leading 200-plus laps? No, I do not see that happening. But he could win through strategy, like we saw this weekend, where they’re running pretty good, and then all of a sudden, the field splits, and he’s on the right strategy.”
Hamlin’s comments reflect a growing concern that the No. 8 team may not have the performance required to secure a victory this season. While Busch’s skill behind the wheel is unquestioned, NASCAR’s chaotic race strategies and split-second decisions may be his only hope of keeping the streak alive.
Six Races to Save the Streak
Despite the challenges, the 2024 NASCAR season isn’t over yet, and Busch still has six races left to find victory lane. For Busch and Richard Childress Racing, the focus must now be on giving the No. 8 car every possible advantage to secure a win before the season ends. Keeping the streak alive could provide the team with a much-needed morale boost heading into 2025 and restore confidence in the Chevy crew’s ability to compete at the highest level.
Busch’s fans, along with the broader NASCAR community, will be closely watching the remaining races to see if the veteran can defy the odds and extend his record for another year. However, as Denny Hamlin and many others have suggested, the window is closing, and it may take a perfect combination of strategy and luck for Busch to make it happen.
