NASCAR insider Taylor Kitchen set the record straight about Kyle Busch’s loss at Daytona, making it clear that Parker Retzlaff wasn’t to blame. Kitchen explained that there wasn’t much Retzlaff, driving for Beard Motorsports, could have done to help Busch since Christopher Bell was already lined up on the inside behind Busch’s #8 Chevrolet.
The race in question, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, was the 25th event of the Cup Series season and was filled with chaos, crashes, and cautions during the final laps. As the dust settled, Busch and Harrison Burton ended up on the front row, with Bell and Retzlaff right behind them. Busch was leading and seemed primed for his first win of the season, with Burton in hot pursuit. But then, Retzlaff, in his #62 Chevy, gave Burton’s #21 Ford a push, boosting Burton past Busch. Without the draft support he needed, Busch couldn’t recover and lost the lead to Burton. Burton’s win secured him a playoff spot, while Busch was left scrambling for a win to keep his playoff hopes alive.
A fan on X (formerly Twitter) stirred things up by suggesting that Chevy/RCR had criticized Retzlaff for not helping Busch at Daytona. Taylor Kitchen jumped in, explaining the restart order that led to Busch’s tough break. She pointed out that Busch and Burton were on the front row with Bell and Retzlaff behind them. With Bell choosing the inside line behind Busch, Retzlaff had little choice but to protect his own position rather than help Busch out.
This loss could be a huge deal for Busch, potentially marking the first time since 2005 that he might miss the Cup Series playoffs. Retzlaff, a rookie in just his second Daytona race, found himself under fire for his late-race moves. However, he got some solid backing from big names in the NASCAR community, including Denny Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart, journalist Jeff Gluck, and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Retzlaff addressed the controversy head-on, saying he never intended to push a Ford to victory. But he also stressed that his main focus was on getting the best result for his sponsor, FunkAway, who made their Cup Series debut in this race. In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Retzlaff made it clear that while he didn’t want the race to end the way it did, he wasn’t willing to throw away a strong finish for his sponsor, who’s backed him for the past two years.
Meanwhile, the pressure’s mounting for both RCR drivers as the Final Appeals Officer upheld Austin Dillon’s penalty, putting both Dillon and Busch in a must-win situation to make the playoffs—but only one of them will get that golden ticket. The drama is only heating up as the season barrels toward its climax!
