Kyle Busch, the man with a legacy as long as a laundry list of angry radio outbursts, might finally see his 18-year streak of winning at least one race come to a screeching halt. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has made it through 30 races this season without so much as a whiff of champagne in Victory Lane.
It’s not for lack of trying. At Darlington, he was inches from glory, but Chase Briscoe decided to play the villain, snatching the win like a seagull stealing your chips on the beach. And ever since then, Busch’s season has been a masterclass in frustration, disappointment, and the kind of luck that only seems to plague the most talented drivers at the worst possible times.
What makes it all so strange is that last year, Busch was on fire. Three wins, a Playoff berth, and a team switch to Richard Childress Racing that had everyone thinking he was back to his old, relentless self. But this year? Well, it’s been more like watching a once-mighty lion trip over its own paws.
Take Kansas Speedway on Sunday as the latest episode in this tragic comedy. Busch had worked his way into the lead on lap 205, thanks to a brilliant pit strategy. For a moment, it looked like the streak might live another day. But, as with every Greek tragedy, the hero’s downfall was just around the corner.
And, of course, it was Chase Briscoe again who played a part in it. Briscoe, fighting to stay on the lead lap like a man clinging to a life raft, gave Busch just enough room to breathe. But by Turn 2, it all went sideways—literally. Briscoe’s car wobbled ever so slightly, and Busch was sent spinning, his hopes of victory vanishing in the dust. From leading the pack to finishing 19th, Busch’s frustration was palpable.
“I guess I just got in too big a hurry,” Busch muttered, clearly fighting the urge to break something. “I’m numb. I don’t know what to do.”
Numb seems to sum up his season perfectly—a state of bewilderment, where nothing goes right no matter how hard he tries.
Later, Busch explained that Briscoe wasn’t entirely to blame.
“I am sure he was racing to stay on the lead lap with whoever was in front of him there,” Busch said.” Granted they have a race to run, but back in the old days when you were under 30 to go or whatever it was, lap traffic would kind of lay over and give you a lane and let the leaders race. I just wasn’t getting that, so I tried to force my hand into getting that and get to his outside, and for whatever reason, it just gave all the air in all the wrong places and I spun out.”
As for Briscoe, he wasn’t much happier with his own day, finishing 24th. “I don’t even know if we touched,” he said. “These cars are so sensitive when you’re running next to the wall. I tried to give him room, but as soon as he got to my right rear, he got loose.
“I hate it for him. He has been so close all year long and I am a Kyle Busch fan and wanted to see him win to keep the streak alive. I hate that we are a part of the conversation.”
Busch was asked if he expected Briscoe to move over.
“It doesn’t matter what I expect,” Busch said. “I don’t think anybody gives anyone anything anymore. It’s all take, take, take.”
So here we are, with just a handful of races left in the season, and Kyle Busch is still winless. The streak is teetering on the edge, and unless something dramatic happens, it could be the first time in nearly two decades that Busch goes winless in a Cup Series season. And for a driver as fiercely competitive as Busch, that’s a nightmare he never thought he’d face.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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