Richard Childress ace Kyle Busch makes his disappointment known after Bowman Gray Clash outing

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) star driver Kyle Busch described his outing after a 15th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. The first race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season had been topsy-turvy for Busch and his #8 RCR Chevrolet team.

Busch expressed his disappointment with the P15 finish. The #8 driver admitted that the overall event was positive at Bowman Gray Stadium but didn’t end the way he had hoped.

In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Kyle Busch reflected on his performance at the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray and explained how his #8 car struggled with handling early in the race.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion said:

“The overall event at Bowman Gray Stadium was a good one, but it wasn’t the result we wanted for our zone Chevrolet team. At the start of the feature, the car was plowing tight and wouldn’t turn. We got spun around and ended up going two laps down before the halfway break.”

Randall Burnett, the crew chief for Busch’s #8 Chevrolet Camaro at RCR made key adjustments to the car at the halfway break, significantly improving the car’s performance.

Reflecting on his crew, led by Burnett’s improvement in the car during the halfway break, Busch said:

“Randall (Burnett) and the No. 8 guys made adjustments during the break, and when we went back green, it was the best the car had felt. It was doing what it needed to do. With the help of a couple cautions, we got back on the lead lap and worked our way up to 15th at the checkered.”

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Kyle Busch was involved in an early wreck at Bowman Gray Stadium

Kyle Busch started 13th in the main event after finishing fourth in heat 1. He showed flashes of speed, but his Clash outing was marred by contact with Noah Gragson, tight racing conditions, and ultimately a finish that left him and his team wanting more.

The 39-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native was the victim of an early wreck in turn 3 of lap 21 when Daniel Suarez bumped Gragson into his rear, causing Busch’s #8 to spin out. However, it wasn't a big wreck but forced the #8 driver to hit the pit road.

Kyle Busch, who had a tough 2024 season, will look to start his 2025 campaign on a good note when the 2025 season officially kicks off at Daytona International Speedway in two weeks. The Daytona 500 will be held on Sunday, February 16.