With a staggering tally of 76 victories and an average finish of 11.06 in his NASCAR Cup career, Dale Earnhardt set a monumental standard in racing history. Kyle Busch, on his part, has also made strides across all three NASCAR tiers, amassing 231 wins, 63 of which are in the Cup Series.
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Despite a winless season in 2024, speculation abounds among his fans about when and where his next victory might occur, particularly the impact if it were at Daytona, drawing parallels to Dale Sr.’s iconic win.
A fan expressed on X, envisioning Busch’s potential victory at Daytona: “Kyle busch next win is gonna be so freakin popular (if it ever happens). It’ll be even cooler if it happens at the Daytona 500. Would be a huge moment for the sport. I think people who still dislike him would even be happy. The magnitude would be on a level to Dale’s 98 500 win.”
Kyle busch next win is gonna be so freakin popular (if it ever happens). It'll be even cooler if it happens at the Daytona 500. Would be a huge moment for the sport. I think people who still dislike him would even be happy. The magnitude would be on a level to Dale's 98 500 win
— ElitePrecision29 (@lmm2996) December 22, 2024
Yet, some purists remain skeptical, holding Earnhardt’s achievements in sacred regard. One fan firmly stated, “Dude I’m a huge KFB fan, but nothing is ever going to touch that Big E win in ‘98.”
Another concurred, “Earnhardt level. Nah. Not close.”
One explained, “Nope. That wasnt just something fans would like to see, that was a win the entire sport wanted to happen. Especially during the lowest point in his career. 20th try, 50th anniversary of NASCAR, 40th Daytona 500. You ain’t getting every crew member waiting for Kyle on pit road.”
Busch’s track record at Daytona International Speedway, with an average finish of 18.1 across 39 starts including a lone win and nine top-5s, mirrors the elusive nature of a Daytona 500 victory, much like the challenges Dale Earnhardt Sr. faced.
Interestingly, Earnhardt only clinched one Daytona 500 win throughout his storied career, a victory that came after numerous near misses, echoing the struggles that have haunted Busch at the same track.
The parallels extend further when considering Earnhardt‘s performance before his triumphant 1998 win. Despite a disappointing 31st place in 1997, the years leading up to his victory showed promising finishes—second place in 1996 and 1995, and seventh in 1994 — hinting at an impending breakthrough.
In contrast, Busch’s recent performances at the Daytona 500 show variability but a trend toward improvement: finishing 12th in 2024, 19th in 2023 despite nearly capturing his first 500 wins, and 6th in 2022.
While Dale Sr.’s record shows a pattern of consistent top finishes at the Daytona 500, Busch’s record, though not as consistent, suggests that he too might be on the cusp of overcoming the Daytona barrier.
Busch is ready to walk out without a Daytona 500 win
During a chat with The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck last July, when asked to prioritize his career goals — including a Daytona 500 win, additional Cup titles, reaching 85 Cup Series victories, and earning the title of Most Popular Driver — Busch confirmed they were already ordered correctly.
He emphasized the significance of the Daytona 500, stating, “It’s a box that’s not checked… So to me, winning the Daytona 500 is something I haven’t done and really want to do.”
Reflecting on the prospect of retiring without this prestigious victory, Busch acknowledged earlier in 2024 that while it’s not ideal, many esteemed Hall of Famers also missed out on this triumph:
“There are some greats in the Hall of Fame that never won the race. Not saying they never not wanted to win the race. They just never got one. I don’t want to be that guy, but if I am that guy I still got some pretty good company.”
Still, Busch remains hopeful about grabbing the elusive win. While it might not rival Dale Sr.’s legendary victory, securing a Daytona 500 would complete his Cup Series accolades.
