After 61 Races Without a Win Busch Sees Light at the End of the Tunnel

gettyimages-2205262777 — LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 BetMGM Chevrolet, climbs into his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

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Last year, for the first full season in his career, Kyle Busch failed to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, ending a record 19-year streak of at least one victory per season.

With his last win having come at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on June 4, 2023, Busch’s drought has now reached a career-long 61 races.

On the occasions when he has a car with the potential to win, Busch has to resist the urge to push too hard.

“When I was winning a lot, you were doing it quite often,” Busch said. “You were in position quite often. And so you could harness those emotions and those feelings, be able to go out there and just do your job and kind of let it come to you.”

That wasn’t the case last year. On Sept. 29 at Kansas Speedway, Busch felt his car was capable of winning. He led 26 laps at the 1.5-mile speedway, but late in the race, he tried to drive through an opening next to the wall, only to have the hole close quickly and pinch him into the barrier.

“Kansas last fall, I felt rushed,” said Busch, who finished 19th. “I felt hurried. I felt like I needed to get through the traffic as fast as I could, and I put myself in a bad spot; 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 as close as the competition is today.”

Fortunately, Busch’s Richard Childress Racing cars have proven to be more consistently competitive this season. He led a race-high 42 laps at Circuit of the Americas and was out front when a late caution cost him a chance to win.

Busch has scored top-10 finishes in his last three races this season and is seventh in the Cup standings, tied with reigning champion Joey Logano and perennial contender Denny Hamlin.

“So far so good,” Busch said. “I mean, from last year to this year … just, you know, Legos being the same, apparently they’re not because we’re doing something different, and the cars are driving much better.

“I just appreciate the efforts and values of everyone at RCR putting all that in. And so, you know, there’s not a team out there that will outwork us, that’s for sure.”