Kyle Busch finishing second at Darlington would normally be a reason to celebrate for any #8 fan. But not this time—not when it’s a do-or-die moment for the playoffs. What used to be a regular season routine for Busch is now a shocker, marking the first time since 2012 that he won’t be racing in the playoffs.

While Kyle Busch himself shoulders the blame for missing the playoffs, the credit for his Darlington heartbreak goes to Chase Briscoe. As the NASCAR world erupted over Busch’s laid-back approach in the final lap, Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s Dirty Mo Media account weighed in on X.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls out Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch’s upset came as Briscoe showed his best performance of the season so far. The last lap chase had everyone on their feet, expecting Busch to overtake any moment, but it did not happen. Hours later, Dirty Mo Media reported it on X. The post read, “Defeat for Kyle Busch. He does not qualify for the Playoffs.” 

In the video, Kyle Busch is seen sipping water while it seems like he is watching Briscoe’s celebratory burnout. The #8 was quick to respond to the post! He questioned, “Hate post?” The two-and-fro was ended by Andrew Curland, the co-host of Dale Earnhardt’s show and also the brains behind the post, who next wrote, “No disrespect was intended. Just a tweet capturing the drama of the regular season cutoff.” 

Curland discussed this banter on the recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download as he talked about getting backlash from Busch fans. Well, emotions from all sides are understood since the value of that win and the consequence of the defeat were so high. However, Dale Jr. thought that the #8’s reaction was uncalled for as it wasn’t a hate post.

Junior, defending his colleague, said, “Very sensitive moment. Yeah, a sensitive guy, very defensive guy. He’s defensive, right? He’s always I guess he’s spent most of his career sort of feeling like kind of Black Sheep almost like kind of you (Curland), just kind of scratching old wound there. but sorry I didn’t mean I know you didn’t intend anything, unfortunately, it’s Kyle who’s in that position but you were pointing out there two sides to this.”

Rightly said, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. A heartbreak here led to a great story in the other team. Briscoe’s win gives SHR a chance to end their run on a high note. In a post-race interview, Chase Briscoe said, “For all 320 employees, everybody, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, man, unbelievable.”

According to Dale Jr., this is what makes sports thrilling, as plans do fail. Upsets are part of the game! He said, “As unfortunate for Kyle, that too is what is great about sports. You know if we didn’t have those almost or heartbreaking moments, I mean you’ve got to have all ranges of the emotion for this to be great.” While the #14’s win was spectacular, so was Kyle Busch, and he has been so for the last few weeks.

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After starting with a P2 at ‘The Clash, Busch’s run went on a downward trajectory. So far, he’s had 5 DNFs and only 5 Top 5s in 26 races. This is unlikely for a driver who is known to have the best stats in his Cup Series career.

While many thought Busch’s win record might break this year, there is still hope as he signs of a comeback. After the series resumed, we saw a different Kyle Busch. He finished 12th in Richmond, followed by a P4 in Michigan, and lastly, the two P2s at Daytona and Darlington.

Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. is amazed, as he is unable to figure out what RCR changed. Further in the podcast, he said, “Apparently over the Winter Olympic break, they dug up a pot of gold. I don’t know what they dug up out ground.I don’t know how it happens with this car. I know how it happens with the old car cause the teams made most of the parts right so you could make some new updates,  some new trick part right but with this car. I don’t know everybody has the same. So I don’t know how they’re finding any speed right but they did.”

Hopefully, this newfound speed will soon translate into a win. Even though the #8 is not fighting for the championship, a win would put him in momentum as he ends the season. Ensuring that they start the next season on a high note. Do you think Busch can find a win in the last 10 races? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.