Kyle Busch compares his 2025 Daytona 500 winning bid to Dale Earnhardt's iconic 1998 victory with RCR

Kyle Busch will compete in his 20th Daytona 500 this Sunday. He has won more races than anyone else on the current NASCAR Cup Series roster but never the 500-mile crown jewel event. If he wins this year, it will be a nod to the legendary Dale Earnhardt, who, like Busch, used to drive for Richard Childress Racing back in the day.

The “intimidator” won his first and only Daytona 500 on his 20th try. Reflecting on the same during a recent press conference, the Chevy star said:

“You’d certainly like to hope so. Twenty years of trying. There was another storied racer of the past that won on his 20th try and that was a pretty big deal. He was a former RCR driver as well so it’d certainly be nice to win that race and do it with RCR in the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. So that would be pretty cool.”

Busch was winless last season. He hasn’t won a race since June 4, 2023. He even snapped his 19-year streak of winning at least one race every season and ended up 20th in overall points with five top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes.

The 67th Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 16. Fans can watch it on FOX from 2:30 pm ET onwards or listen to live radio updates on MRN or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“80 percent luck, 20 percent skill race” - Kyle Busch gives his verdict on the nature of the 'Great American Race'

Often known as NASCAR’s Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 is perhaps one of the sport’s biggest and most prestigious races. It has been opening seasons every February since 1982.

Every Cup Series driver hopes to bag the honor at least once during their career. But it’s not easy at all. According to Kyle Busch, skill isn’t enough to conquer the mayhem that the Daytona 500 is.

“We’ve got really good speed,” Kyle Busch said (via NASCAR). “I just told someone that it’s an 80 percent luck/20 percent skill race. Others would disagree, but I feel like you have to have a lot of things go your way, and you have to have the stars align.”

As a driver, one would want to lead following the final pit stop, Busch further explained. He is confident in his team’s superspeedway package, so 2025 could be his year.

Winning the Daytona 500 will get Kyle Busch a spot in the playoffs, which will allow him to compete for his third championship. The Las Vegas native will be joined by Randall Burnett atop the pit box, marking their third year together, and Burnett’s ninth at RCR.