Kyle Busch has gathered a treasure trove of NASCAR accolades — ranging from Cup Series champions, regular-season champion, the Southern 500 race, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, to NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion. Despite all these wins, the Craftsman Truck Series championship and a Daytona 500 victory remain elusive.
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The 2024 season marked a break in his impressive streak, as for the first time after 19 years, Busch didn’t manage to secure a single-race win.
Eager to see Busch, who finished outside the top 15 in the standings, return to form, fans are rooting for him to start the next season with a bang by winning the Daytona 500. Recently, the excitement bubbled over on NASCAR on NBC’s official X page, where fans were asked,
“10 weeks until the Daytona 500. Who do you want to see win?”
10 weeks until the Daytona 500.
Who do you want to see win?
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) December 8, 2024
A swell of support emerged for Busch, with numerous fans throwing their weight behind his name. While one Busch fan expressed a hopeful sentiment, “Kyle Busch… I hope…,” another confidently predicted, “@KyleBusch ‘25 is his year! “ Amplifying the sentiment, another supporter proclaimed, “Rowdy Busch of course .”
KFB
— Joe Torres (@JoeTorres2933) December 8, 2024
Another person mentioned, “The Rowdy One kyle busch.”
Notably, 2024 marked the first time since 2012 that he missed the postseason and overall only the fourth time in his career.
That’s precisely why winning the Daytona 500 could serve as both a morale booster and a turning point for the 63-time Cup Series winner.
Having led at the 500-mile mark in 2023 before a loss in NASCAR overtime, Busch is primed to claim the Harley J. Earl Trophy in his 21st Daytona 500 start, aiming to add another accolade to his already impressive collection.
Daytona 500 win even tops Busch’s priority list
Last July, during an interview with The Athletic, Jeff Gluck probed Busch to sequence his priorities among Daytona 500 victory, more Cup Title wins, achieving 85 Cup Series victories, and winning the title of Most Popular Driver. Busch’s response was succinct, “They’re [already] in order.”
Pressed on why the Daytona 500 really topped his list, Busch elaborated,
“It’s a box that’s not checked. I’ve won a championship; I have won two. I’ve won tons of races; I think I’m eighth or ninth on the all-time wins list, whatever it is (he’s ninth). So to me, winning the Daytona 500 is something I haven’t done and really want to do. I did lead Lap 200 this year under yellow, so I will always carry that asterisk with me forever.”
Busch’s closest brush with victory at the Daytona 500 came in 2019. During the first practice, the then-JGR driver made a strong showing, finishing P2, although he qualified P13.
He took the top spot in Stage 1 but slipped beyond the top 10 in Stage 2. In the final stage, he surged to the lead with just 10 laps remaining. However, with two laps left, Denny Hamlin overtook him, eventually securing his second Daytona 500 victory, leaving Busch to settle for a bittersweet P2 finish.
