“I felt rushed, I felt hurried”: Kyle Busch recalls putting himself in a ‘bad spot’ that cost him a historic NASCAR ordeal

Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch struggled last season, resulting in the culmination of two of his streaks. During the media day availability ahead of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, Busch reflected on his run at Kansas Speedway last fall that could have preserved his streaks.

In the 2024 season, Busch, 39, did not secure a single win, concluding his 19-year streak of winning at least once each season since his debut in 2005 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He also ended his 11-year streak of making it into the playoffs.

Recalling the Kansas incident, Busch mentioned he felt confident in his car and believed he could have won the race. He led 26 laps at Kansas Speedway but later spotted an opening next to the wall and attempted to take it. However, he "rushed" and ended up hitting the outside wall, finishing the race in P19.

"Kansas last fall, I felt rushed. I felt hurried. I felt like I needed to get through the traffic as quickly as possible, and I put myself in a bad position; we hit the wall and lost the race. So, you know, those things are certainly on your mind as you come to them, especially with how close the competition is today," stated Kyle Busch. (via SpeedwayDigest.com)

"It's rare that you see — I guess unless you're tiny Kyle (Larson), it's unusual to see large gaps of three seconds to the next driver. You know, you're always kind of fighting within that one-second range to the driver behind you. You can lose half a second in one lap if you choose the wrong lane through a corner and end up in someone else's wake. So, you know, there's not much room to breathe," he added.

The #8 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver ranks eighth on the points table with 110 wins, one top-five, and three top-ten finishes in four starts. Additionally, he sits one spot above reigning champion Team Penske driver Joey Logano.

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“There’s not a team that will outwork us, that’s for sure”: Kyle Busch on RCR's improvements in the 2025 season

After enduring the "toughest season" of his career, Kyle Busch and his team made significant improvements for the 2025 season. During the media day availability before his hometown race, Busch issued a clear warning to his on-track rivals.

Having faced numerous challenges in the previous season, Busch has a solid lineup this year. Moreover, the cars have proven reliable this season, allowing the RCR driver to record some impressive laps. He has led 55 laps in four starts this season, with 42 of those coming at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Additionally, the Las Vegas native has recorded one top-five and three top-ten finishes in the 2025 season. Reflecting on his success, Busch issued a warning to his rivals:

"So far, so good. From last year to this year... just, you know, the setups being the same, apparently they're not because we're doing something different, and the cars are driving much better. I really appreciate the efforts and values of everyone at RCR for making that happen. So, you know, there's not a team out there that will outwork us, that's for sure." (via Speedwaydigest.com)

However, despite some strong finishes this season, the RCR driver is still enduring a 61-race winless drought. His last victory came at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4, 2023. He came close to winning on two occasions in the 2024 season but eventually finished as the runner-up. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is all set to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 16, 2025.