This season hasn’t been a success for Kyle Busch. The 63-time Cup race winner has stumbled after his initial spark in Atlanta. With just three top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes, the Rowdy is at the lowest point of his career.
But his former talents came to the fore again in Nashville. The No. 8 driver for Richard Childress Racing finally got back into the top five after a few weeks of trouble. And he held that front-row position for quite some time. But when his day was ended by the tactics of a rival who was outgunned, his losing streak continued. NASCAR officials looked into the matter and sided with Busch.
Kyle Busch’s close miss attributed to Hendrick’s rival
The race in Nashville was full of drama, especially towards the end. Christopher Bell’s incredible lead and two stage wins came to an end in the third stage. This could indirectly be attributed to Chase Elliott’s mysterious spin on lap 218 that caused a caution.
Bell crashed, but his Hendrick Motorsports rivals surged up the field. But Elliott’s escape wasn’t over yet. Kyle Busch was embracing the top five drivers when Ross Chastain crashed on lap 305, dragging the other drivers down with him. He survived, but the ensuing melee ended in his death as Busch had started fourth in overtime in NASCAR. At the third overtime restart on lap 320, Kyle Larson ran out of gas and fell back to Busch.
But Chase Elliott was right behind him and crashed into the rear of the No. 8 car. In a recent episode of “Doors Bumper Clear,” Kyle Busch’s strategy with Major T.J. “I can understand Kyle more, ’cause Kyle’s just missing the wreck, and if he gets bumped from behind…I don’t think there should be a penalty for a guy…If you’re doing what you should be doing to miss a wreck…Kyle was doing the right thing.”
Then Brad Keselowski’s spotter slammed Chase Elliott’s antics, implicating him for spoiling Kyle Busch’s hopes. “The other one was the 9 and he was the reason for the caution. He’s literally dune-bugging down through the front stretch grass…He came out pretty much at the back of the field into one and that’s where he should be…I just don’t know how you look at a guy spinning out through the grass and he gets it straight.”
Kyle Busch’s woeful end was truly disappointing. Many were rooting for Rowdy to snap his long 40-race winless streak. However, even though Chase Elliott received flak for ruining Busch’s hopes, the No. 9 driver actually looked up to him.
Elliott drew inspiration from Busch
Very few NASCAR drivers venture outside the usual race tracks that are set every weekend. Those who do inevitably become the most versatile racers. Kyle Larson is one of those with several wins in sprint cars.
Kyle Busch also belongs to this category, since his dirt racing qualities are no secret. In 2022, Chase Elliott announced that he will follow in Busch’s footsteps and compete in Nitro Rallycross, which features dirt racing tracks with jumps. Before taking on the exciting racing series, Chase Elliott expressed his excitement: “Nitro RX is exciting to watch, but from what Travis Pastrana and other drivers have said, it’s just as exciting to get behind the wheel. I can’t wait.” Despite Chase Elliott’s fondness for Kyle Busch, the NASCAR community is now furious with him for blocking Rowdy’s plans.
