Kyle Busch missed another crucial chance to capture his first victory of the 2023 season during last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas. The RCR driver, who was leading at the time, saw his hopes dashed when he spun out while attempting to pass Chase Briscoe. This incident marks another setback in what has been a frustrating season for Busch, as he remains winless after the regular season.
The pressure is mounting for Busch as he faces a dwindling number of opportunities to secure a win this year. With only six playoff races left, one of NASCAR’s most impressive streaks hangs in the balance. Busch has won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race for 19 consecutive seasons, a record he’s proud to hold. A win at Kansas would have extended his streak to 20 seasons, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite. Now, with just six races left, Busch is at risk of seeing this legendary run come to an end.
However, not everyone is ready to count Busch out just yet. Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, expressed confidence that Busch still has a solid chance to notch a win before the season concludes. Speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Kraft noted that Busch has been a consistent contender over the last few months, regularly finding himself in the mix for a victory. Kraft believes Busch’s skill and the speed of his car will make him a factor in several of the remaining races, including at the ROVAL and Homestead.
“They’ve been in contention for a bunch the last month or two. He’ll be in contention this week. They’ve been fast at the speedway races. He’ll be in contention at the ROVAL, but I don’t see it … Homestead, if he was as fast as he was yesterday, he’s going to be fast in Homestead. There’s places where he can definitely contend, and honestly, being a fan of the sport, you want to see him win, you want to see that streak continue,” Kraft said.
Busch has certainly come close to victory on multiple occasions this season, only to have those chances slip away. One of the most heartbreaking near-misses came at Atlanta, where he lost in a photo-finish. Another tough loss happened during the Coke 400 at Daytona, where Busch was passed on the final lap by Harrison Burton. And of course, there was the incident at Darlington, where Chase Briscoe once again played a part in Busch’s misfortune by causing a collision that cost him a shot at the win.
Despite these setbacks, Kraft remains optimistic that Busch can still pull off a win in one of the final races. He pointed out that Busch has been competitive at the speedway races and believes Homestead could be the track where Busch breaks through. Kraft’s comments reflected not just a professional opinion but also a sentiment shared by many in the NASCAR community who appreciate Busch’s talent and want to see his historic streak continue.
Interestingly, Kraft also weighed in on the Kansas incident that dashed Busch’s hopes last Sunday. Busch, who was leading at the time, spun out while trying to pass Chase Briscoe, who was fighting to stay on the lead lap. After the race, Briscoe made a surprising comment, saying that he would have liked to see Busch win because he is a fan of the two-time Cup Series champion. However, Freddie Kraft found this statement to be contradictory and somewhat disingenuous.
“I think it’s spot off to say he wants to see him win. It’s kind of a counterproductive statement when you say, ‘I left him a car within a couple of inches but I really want to see him win.’ I don’t think Chase Briscoe did anything wrong. Could he have been more accommodating? Yes, obviously. But you’re racing to stay on the lead lap,” Kraft explained.
Kraft didn’t entirely blame Briscoe for the incident, acknowledging that while Briscoe could have made things easier for Busch, he was within his rights to race hard to stay on the lead lap. After all, every position counts when you’re fighting for points in NASCAR’s grueling playoff format.
Another voice weighing in on the Busch-Briscoe incident was journalist Jordan Bianchi. On The Teardown podcast after the Kansas race, Bianchi echoed some of Kraft’s sentiments, pointing out that Briscoe, as a playoff driver, was fighting for every possible point. Bianchi explained that Briscoe’s aggressive driving was understandable, as being a lap down could jeopardize his playoff run. Bianchi stopped short of blaming Briscoe for the spin but emphasized that Briscoe was simply racing hard to secure his position.
While the Kansas race marked another missed opportunity for Busch, the NASCAR world will be watching closely as the playoffs continue. With six races remaining, Busch’s legendary streak of 19 consecutive seasons with at least one Cup Series win is in serious jeopardy. But if Freddie Kraft’s optimism is any indication, Kyle Busch may still have what it takes to keep his streak alive, and fans will undoubtedly be eager to see whether he can pull off a win before the season’s end.
For now, the pressure is on, and Busch will need to capitalize on every opportunity in the remaining races if he wants to extend his record to an incredible 20 consecutive winning seasons. The next few weeks will reveal whether one of NASCAR’s greatest streaks can survive another year.
