Although Kyle Busch is currently struggling to find his way back into the winning lane of the NASCAR Cup Series races, he has a list of personal racing goals he wants to check off before hanging up his helmet — and the Indy 500 remains high on that list.
Advertisement
Busch has long expressed interest in competing in the iconic open-wheel race and was previously in talks with Arrow McLaren for a potential entry. However, the seat ultimately went to Kyle Larson for both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Speaking with Crash ahead of the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, the two-time Cup Series champion laid his cards on the table, “Indy 500 would certainly be cool. I know I’m getting older, so I’m definitely… I want to win. I want to be competitive. And so, sooner the better, but getting a little bit older on that.”
He also touched on other ambitions, including the Baja 1000, though he expressed reservations about that grueling off-road challenge, adding, “I have always kind of said like the Baja 1000 would be cool, but hearing all the horror stories of the things that kind of go on down there during that week. I don’t know if I’m down for that. So, we’ll see.”
When previously asked in January 2024 whether the Indy 500 still excites him, Busch responded affirmatively. However, he explained that his efforts to join the grid have typically involved talks of third or fourth entries — deals where he’d be an additional driver rather than a priority one.
He said that raises questions about crew quality and cohesion, since teams often need to hire one-off personnel for such entries. As Busch put it, that kind of setup won’t be a full-blown effort to win, which is why the plan has yet to materialize.
Busch’s quest for a Daytona 500 win
While the Indy 500 remains one of Busch’s long-standing goals outside NASCAR, when asked to name the top item still unchecked on his NASCAR racing bucket list, Kyle Busch responded without hesitation: “Obviously the Daytona 500, of course. Yeah, that’s probably number one. I definitely want to win that one. That would certainly be cool.”
Busch explained that since the event comes around only once a year, opportunities are few and far between. Coupled with the nature of modern superspeedway racing, where success hinges more on fortune than finesse, the odds are tough. In his words, “It’s 80 percent luck nowadays versus 20 percent skills,” making it essential for drivers to be in the right place at the right time to take home the win.
Earlier this season, ahead of the Daytona 500, Busch echoed a similar sentiment — despite all he has accomplished in NASCAR, the Great American Race still sits at the top of his list. For now, however, he’ll need to recapture his rhythm on tracks where he’s previously thrived before setting his sights on finally conquering Daytona.
