Kyle Busch admits his stress meter is pegged

gettyimages-1698463899 — TALLADEGA, AL - SEPTEMBER 30: Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson (l) and KBM owner Kyle Busch (r) in a press conference discussing the sale of KBM prior to the running of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love's RV Stop 250 Playoff race on September 30, 2023 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kyle Busch suffered a disappointing DNF last week in the opening race of the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs’ second round, the two-time series champion finds himself in last place among the 12 Playoff drivers vying to advance to the Round of 8 following Sunday’s Talladega race and next week’s event at the Charlotte ROVAL.

And beyond his time behind the wheel, Busch announced major news this week in his job as a longtime NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team owner. He has sold his two-time championship Kyle Busch Motorsports team to Spire Motorsports. And although he will still compete in five races for the organization in 2024, Busch conceded Saturday at Talladega that the move was “obviously a super bittersweet moment’’ thanking all the people who contributed to the company’s success story.

As for Talladega, Busch acknowledged he’s got some work to do to regain the momentum he had earlier this season earning three victories in his first year driving the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet – the most wins he’s had since 2019. He’s a two-time Talladega winner, including this Spring.

“I think you come in here stress-meter pegged, regardless if whether you’re 30 (points) to the good or 30 behind,’’ Busch said. “We obviously know in our situation we’re further behind. So you have to race. I think it’s been more sought out to just race these races and run normal and not to hang out in the back and try to wait for something to happen. Because with these cars and the way the race play out it’s so hard to make moves and make passes and get track position whenever you want it. You can’t.

“So you have to hold it when you got it and if you don’t have it, then you have to figure out how to fuel save so that you can short-pit guys and jump ‘em on pit road. There’s so many variables you have to just race it out and don’t worry about it. Whatever happens, happens.’’