“I Don’t Really Agree With It”: Kyle Busch Not A Big Fan of NASCAR Return to Chase Format

Oct 25, 2025; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) before NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 Practice and Qualifying at Martinsville Speedway.

The shout of jubilation following NASCAR’s announcement that the Chase format would be reintroduced has been so loud that people have failed to notice what bumps the decision could bring. Kyle Busch, who isn’t one to agree with the crowd has questioned the point of bringing back something that was removed in the first place with a valid reason.

The biggest reason why the Chase format was replaced with the playoff system was Jimmie Johnson‘s dominance. The seven-time Cup Series champion simply didn’t leave room for anybody else to lift the title and had to be stopped only by changing the rules of the game. The second reason was that the format punished champion-contenders heavily for even a simple wreck in one race.

Busch detailed all this and stated on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “It’s just stuff like that I don’t really agree with it.”

Stage points will still be used in the races, and that means drivers have an incentive to qualify well on Saturday. He pointed out that this is an area where his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing hasn’t been doing very well and hoped to be better this coming year.

A maximum of 76 points can be earned in a race under the new format. He was asked if good days can make up for bad days in light of this heightened reward. Busch replied, “If you’re a winner! If you’re a Hendrick car, a Gibbs car, or a Penske car, yeah. Name me another team that wins races outside of those guys.”

Busch is considered to be one of the greatest drivers of the modern era. But his performances over the last couple of years haven’t really reflected his stature. He has struggled to put together good results on the track and failed to win a race in two seasons. Heading into his fourth season with Richard Childress Racing, he hopes to turn that situation around.

Helping him in this mission will be the Xfinity Series championship-winning crew chief, Jim Pohlman. Pohlman was previously stationed at JR Motorsports with Justin Allgaier and comes to the Cup Series carrying plenty of knowledge and skill. Hopefully, he will have what it takes to revive Busch’s waning career. There is nothing fans would love more than to see him in Victory Lane again.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Kyle Busch

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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