For the second consecutive weekend, Kyle Busch has garnered a top-5 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series. The veteran and his team would have rejoiced had this result come earlier in the year. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so and nothing short of a win sufficed at Daytona International Speedway with a playoff berth on the line for the team. And of them all, it was his former employee Harrison Burton who robbed Busch of his chances at securing a late victory this season.
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The #8 Chevrolet Camaro driver held the lead as the white flag flew after several chaotic incidents throughout the 164-lap race. It was all but certain at the moment that Busch was going to be in a position to pull off the impossible and secure a victory to end his winless streak. However, the Richard Childress Racing star’s chances came undone when the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang surged ahead of him in the final yards before the finish line.
We did everything right. Had a 🚀 for the second week in a row. Proud of my RCR & ECR guys. We’re headed in the right direction. Just gotta keep at it💪🏻.@RCRracing x @cheddarskitchen pic.twitter.com/mnn54YvUh0
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) August 25, 2024
This happened mainly because Christopher Bell, who was lined up behind Busch, failed to properly push the #8 Camaro driver to victory. The energy loss completely killed the bottom lane, and Busch was left to lean on his own power, which did not play out as well as he would have hoped. He was a mere 0.047 seconds behind Burton when he crossed the checkered flag.
He elaborated in his post-race interview, “Besides wrecking him (Burton), nothing to do in that situation. I could have jumped up in front of the 21 and probably taken that, but I don’t know that he would have kept straight on me. I had more trust in the 20 there being a better ally, but it didn’t work out.” Notably, it was a strong push from Parker Retzlaff that enabled Burton to pass Busch.
Busch admits struggling to find the key to unlocking Daytona
In all his years of driving at the top level, Busch has conquered the ‘World Center of Racing’ just once (2008). He does, however, have a horde of top-5 and top-10 finishes at the iconic 2.5-mile-long venue. However, stats do little to satisfy him near the culmination of such a legendary career.
“It’s just frustrating,” he lamented. “We’ve led races here at Daytona going into the last restart and haven’t been able to pull off a victory. Not sure what it is. What I’m doing wrong or what it is that I’m missing.”
"Besides just flat out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do."
Heartbreak for @KyleBusch after leading at the white flag to come just short of the victory he needed to make the playoffs and continue his consecutive season win streak.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ArZB8YReu1
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) August 25, 2024
104 points below the playoff elimination line after Saturday’s race, Busch needs to win the upcoming Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway to continue competing for the championship this year.
The fact that RCR’s #8 entry has found speed after a terrible dry run does provide hope. It remains to be seen if competing for the ultimate prize in the sport is going to be possible for the Las Vegas, Nevada native this season.
