The 2024 Clash marked its 46th lap around the block, but for the third year on the trot, it took a detour from its Daytona birthplace. Since 1979, 2022 was the first time the rubber first hit the road other than Daytona International Speedway. For the past couple of years, the L.A. Coliseum has played host, with a pit stop at the Daytona road course back in 2021.

Undoubtedly, Dale Earnhardt Sr is the king of The Clash, with a hefty six wins under his belt. On the current grid, Denny Hamlin‘s leading the pack with four wins. However, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch aren’t far behind, each with a pair of wins. But ever since The Clash started revving up the engines for the Daytona 500, Kyle Busch has been on a roll, snagging a spot on the podium for three years running.

Kyle Busch’s string of near-misses at the Clash has been a thorn in his side

Since 2022, alongside the debut of the next-gen cars, the Clash at the Coliseum has kicked off the Cup Series season. Though it doesn’t dish out points, it sure cranks up the pressure. Take Denny Hamlin’s recent win, for instance; despite his shoulder surgery, clinching victory in Los Angeles has surely lit a fire under him. Kyle Busch, hot on his heels, snagged second place, marking a solid run in his sophomore year with RCR.

But Busch can’t shake off the sting of always being the bridesmaid at this event. In the last three years, he’s been right there but just shy of the top spot, bagging second, third, and second again. “Second, third, second kind of hurts. I don’t know what it really is,” Busch reflected. “It’s just tight nature, tight bullring kind of stuff, the things we all grow up doing with legends cars, late models, all that.”

Yet, Busch, ever the competitor, took to Instagram to celebrate his consistency, flaunting his medal with a nod to the legends before him,  “Lots of great names have carried metals outta here. Some just do it 3 years in a row.”

Busch’s flair at the L.A. Coliseum shines, especially against the backdrop of Richard Childress Racing’s recent hurdles on short tracks. Last season saw Kyle Busch visit Victory Lane three times with RCR, but his best short track showing was a third-place finish at Richmond in the fall. “We’ve got a little bit of work on our short track program. Clash seems okay, but we’ll try to figure out the rest of the year,” Busch admitted.

Watch This Story: Kyle Busch Suggests Nascar Could Broaden Their Street Circuit Collection Following Successful Chicago Event

As the RCR driver gears up for what’s next, he’s got his sights set on rivals like Joey Logano, ready to shake up the scoreboard and settle some scores from last season.

#8 seems to have a score to settle with Joey Logano in 2024

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In a post-race chat after the Clash at the Coliseum, Kyle Busch couldn’t help but throw a cheeky jab at Joey Logano, recalling last year’s clash where Logano sent Busch’s No. 8 for a spin. Logano, in defense, waxed philosophical about the tit-for-tat nature of racing, saying, “Racing is usually an eye for an eye more times than not. We’re trying to come out with explanations of what happened and mistakes are mistakes. I’ve been on both ends of it. I got Kyle last year.”

Logano elaborated, “I mean it’s part of racing here and you try not to because you know there’s bigger races down the line but sometimes you’re in a bad spot and you just make mistakes and that can happen too.”

However, Kyle Busch didn’t miss a beat, replying, “I still owe him.” He pointed out that some drivers might be missing a lesson or two in racing etiquette and haven’t quite picked up on the give-and-respect game in their leagues, and it’s spilling over into NASCAR.

Read More: “I Still Owe Him”—Savage Kyle Busch Trashes Archenemy Joey Logano for Jeopardisig Him Last Season

With the Daytona 500 just around the corner, a race that nearly saw Kyle Busch take the crown last year, all eyes will be on how he juggles gunning for the win while possibly squaring things with Logano.