Kyle Busch is currently in the midst of the longest winless streak of his career. His No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team has gone through three pit crew shuffles already, in the hope of finding a sweet spot, but not much has worked to turn his fortunes around. With five DNFs in 21 races this season, it has been a frustrating time for Rowdy, who could end up without a win across a season for the first time in his career.
When asked about the difficulties NASCAR’s two-time champion has gone through this season, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace gave a cheeky response to Frontstretch’s Anthony Damcott ahead of the Brickyard 400.
Wallace, on the contrary, refuses to underestimate Kyle Busch
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Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for Kyle Busch this season. He was involved in eight crashes over the last 7 races. Who would have imagined that Busch, a two-time Cup champion, would be overtaken by Cody Ware, not once, but twice under green flag conditions at Pocono Raceway?
Even when he has the speed, Lady Luck hasn’t been on Busch’s side. Remember Sonoma? Running in the top five in the final lap, only to get spun out by Ross Chastain. At Nashville, he was in a position to win, with NASCAR even gifting him a spot back on the restart, only for the driver to get wrecked.
Ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace was asked by Frontstretch’s Anthony Damcott about Kyle Busch’s season so far. The 30-year-old cheekily replied, “It’s motorsports. It’s racing. Enjoyed all the ups most of the time, right? Now you have to endure the downs and you have to learn to navigate through them. So, I’ve been fortunate enough to do both, and kind of ride right in the middle. So, it’s racing. Got to figure it out.”
Next, when asked by a PRN journalist if drivers were targeting Busch because he’s weak, Wallace replied, “Well, I wouldn’t call Kyle Busch weak.” He went on to say, “You were calling Logano weak a couple of weeks ago. Those guys are champions for a reason, so definitely don’t count them out until the regular season’s over.”
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Bubba Wallace's jab at Kyle Busch—friendly banter or a sign of deeper rivalry?
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With five races to go until the playoffs begin in Atlanta, Kyle Busch has the opportunity to turn his season around. He finished 6th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020, which was the last time the Cup Series participated on the oval layout. Nothing less than a victory would be enough to salvage Busch’s frustrating season, which means Rowdy and Richard Childress Racing need to get their act together fast.
As for Bubba Wallace, the 23XI Racing driver continues to have an outside chance of making it to the playoffs. With everything to race for in the remaining five races of the regular season, both Busch and Wallace will not be giving up on their postseason hopes just yet. A strong finish to the season could propel them into the playoffs, but a variety of circumstances will need to play in their favor to keep their ambitions alive.
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23XI Racing co-owner cites the reason for Bubba Wallace’s struggles
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It’s no secret that, just like Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace has also had his fair share of struggles this season. His No. 23 Toyota Camry has lacked pace all season, resulting in just three top-five and seven top-ten finishes so far. Currently in 15th place in the driver standings with 503 points, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Wallace will replicate his 2023 achievement of making it to the playoffs this year.
Citing a major reason for Bubba Wallace’s ongoing struggles, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said, “Good points day for the #23. They’re still lacking pace. I don’t know where that pace is. It’s head-scratching a little bit that they just don’t have the pace. […] But they’re finishing to their best ability. So, they’re executing well… The speed stuff. We can figure it out, and Bubba can figure it out, and the team can figure that out. They’re at least keeping themselves in the game for when they do figure that out.”
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Having received a $50,000 penalty for door-slamming Alex Bowman during the cool-down lap at Chicago Street Course, Bubba Wallace must keep a cooler head in the remaining races if he wants to remain in contention for the playoffs. While a win appears like an unrealistic possibility, strange things have happened in NASCAR. What Wallace must focus on is consistency in the next five races, accumulating stage points, and finishing in the top 10. By doing so, the 30-year-old will at least have a fighting chance before the postseason begins.
Do you think If not Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace will make it to the playoffs? Let us know in the comments!
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Bubba Wallace's jab at Kyle Busch—friendly banter or a sign of deeper rivalry?