When Kyle Busch won his first race at Nashville Superspeedway, he acted like a star. On June 7, 2009, he destroyed his Les Paul Trophy guitar and celebrated his victory like a rock star. Clint Bowyer said earlier this week that Busch needs to regain his “rock star” status.
But that’s easier said than done. Kyle Busch’s disastrous season hit a low point in New Hampshire, where he crashed again and extended his winless streak to 38 races. So, despite his efforts, Busch seems to have lost confidence and is searching for answers due to his on-track difficulties. In a candid interview, Busch revealed the exact story behind the disaster in New Hampshire. And it seems like a tragic tale of loss of traction, skidding and desperate attempts to correct one’s (the car’s) direction.
As per Kyle Busch, the #8 team is bleeding
Every week, NASCAR fans think they’ve seen Kyle Busch’s worst problems on the track. And yet he continues to exceed their expectations. It’s like he’s cursed, he crashes every time he takes his car out on the track. He had an accident at World Wide Technology when he made contact with Larson. A week later, he had an accident at Sonoma when Ross Chastain spun him out. Then he crashed in Iowa with mechanical failure and in New Hampshire, while still on a winning streak.
He spoke to the media recently after qualifying for the Allie 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in 27th place, and explained exactly what happened in New Hampshire. He said, “I think I lost grip and started to slide. I started too early and rolled into the corner lightly, and the car went across three lanes and hit the old asphalt and went sideways, so I tried to correct it to catch up. It just turned the other way and spun me around. That’s the story.”
Unable to stop his miserable streak and knowing how important it was to protect his record of at least one win in 19 consecutive races, Busch said, “I just have to stop the bleeding,” and his frustration is understandable. After all, he’s a two-time champion and someone who has won it all on the weekends. He’s not losing his mojo, he’s just stuck in a car that can’t accelerate. Busch himself acknowledged his issues on the track, saying: “I think it’s just a matter of getting the car going. That’s the most important thing.” And Kevin Harvick has expressed the same sentiment when talking about Busch and his rather eventful season.
Kevin Harvick bluntly calls Kyle Busch’s situation a “disastrous mess”
Kyle Busch’s problems at RCR are nothing new, but his downward spiral this season has been especially dramatic. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in the last six weeks and has finished outside the top 25 four times. To make matters worse, his last four races have ended in DNFs, including an accident at a Goodyear tire test, a stark contrast to his three races in the season.
This time last year he was winning and leading the playoffs. His misery doesn’t really seem to be visible. Kevin Harvick recently commented on Busch’s situation, and in his opinion, it could be a big problem for Busch if things don’t change soon. Kevin also highlighted Busch’s remarks about speed, saying: […] At some point it’s easier to follow the Christopher Bell scenario because at least they were fast. He had six or eight tough weeks and dismal results. But they all knew their cars were fast. The problem with Kyle Busch’s current situation is that they don’t have the speed in their cars for the most part. ” And Harvick summed up Busch’s scenario in four words: “It’s a catastrophic mess.”
Kyle Busch has little time left this season to prove himself. With only eight races left, including this upcoming one, to clinch a playoff spot, what do you think Kyle Busch needs to do to improve his game?
