“Bust some lips if you have to”: Fans urge Kyle Busch to get long-awaited Daytona 500 win

Kyle Busch will be making his 20th start in the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Feb. 16. The #8 Richard Childress Racing driver is searching for his first Harley J. Earl Trophy and hopes to follow in the footsteps of RCR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr., who famously secured his long-awaited Daytona 500 victory on his 20th attempt.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has won every crown jewel race in his career, except for the most prestigious one on the calendar. A Daytona 500 victory has remained just out of reach for the #8 Chevy driver over the past two decades, though he came agonizingly close in 2023.

Ahead of the 2025 season opener, Busch is channeling his "wild thing" persona, announcing the return of 'Rowdy Busch.' He shared a video montage gearing up for the Daytona 500, set to Sam Kinison's Wild Thing. The caption on his X (formerly Twitter) post read:

"Wild Thing is back. Let’s get this party started.😈"

The 'Rowdy' fans are fired up, eager to see their driver finally win the Great American Race. One X user suggested Busch to go all out for the win, and "bust some lips" if he had to. The comment read:

"Bust some lips if you have to! Time to win Today!"

Another X user was excited about the return of the 'wild thing' and wrote:

"Hell yeah!!! Wild thing is back! That’s right the only play in the book is kicking a** and holding down the gas! Let’s go rowdy!"

With Dale Earnhardt's victory in his 20th attempt immortalized by Mike Joy's iconic commentary in 1998, NASCAR fans are hoping for a repeat with Joy still leading the FOX booth.

Here are a few other reactions to Busch's post:

"This is your year. Do it for Dale," an X user wrote.

"Time to get rowdy ... Bring home the win !! 🏁🏁," another fan wrote.

"Good luck today, Rowdy! It's time to get that 8 back in victory lane!" a third X user wrote.

"Bring out the KFB & take that 🏁 #RowdyNation. 🎱" a Kyle Busch fan wrote.

Kyle Busch will line up on the 11th row for the 67th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for this Sunday, Feb. 16, at 1:30 PM ET.

---

Kyle Busch hopes for "all the stars to align" for his Daytona 500 victory

Kyle Busch discussed his realistic chances of winning the Daytona 500 in his 20th attempt. The #8 Richard Childress Racing driver suggested that he could win the race if the stars aligned for him. He also reflected on the missed opportunity in 2023 when he led at the 500-mile marker.

The 39-year-old mentioned that he has struggled to control the pack when out front, and has failed to maximise his opportunities. He said in an interview with NASCAR.com:

"As long as all the stars align, I think it can be the one. The biggest struggle that I think we have is just being able to maximize our opportunities when we are out front [and] keeping everybody at bay."

"The car's speeds been there, the guys at RCR and ECR have done a great job in bringing some really fast Speedway cars to the race track and our Zone Chevrolet is ready for another try," Kyle Busch added.

Busch is coming off a winless 2024 Cup Series season, and a victory in the Daytona 500 would be the perfect way to bounce back from the disappointing season.