Kyle Busch has done it once again. The veteran racer turned back the clock to secure another victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, continuing his Truck Series dominance that saw him win two races in five appearances in 2024. Despite battling against youthful competition, ‘Rowdy’ demonstrated his racing prowess by utilizing his years of experience, leading 80 laps and fending off Stewart Friesen to secure a photo finish in his 67th career win in the Truck Series.

The win involved with clinical passing and clean racing, something Kyle Busch so desperately missed at the Daytona 500 last week. The result was particularly impressive for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who couldn’t help but praise Busch for his majestic performance. Could the 39-year-old carry the momentum into the Cup Series and break his winless streak at the upcoming Ambetter Health 400?

Dale Jr. reflects on Kyle Busch’s race-winning move in Atlanta

Kyle Busch has still got it. After a heartbreaking outcome at the Daytona 500, the Nevada native was aiming to prove a point at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ‘Rowdy’ was particularly frustrated by his fellow Cup Series colleagues’ antics at the ‘World Center of Racing’ during the season-opener, which resulted in plenty of crashes and on-track controversies. However, the veteran racer has put the events of ‘The Great American Race’ well and truly behind him, and took advantage of the 2025 Fr8 208 being largely a clean race to secure a triumph.

Reflecting on the turning point in the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted on X, “Man, I agree with Brad K and Joey… mid turn 3/4 the 52 truck had his truck in position to side draft himself into the lead just as he crossed the line. But he chose to do that quite a bit too early and allow @KyleBusch the opportunity to do the same. Made it easy for the veteran to claim the win. Great race. Great moves/skill on display.”

Unlike the Daytona 500, drivers utilized their skills and technique to make passes on the superspeedway track, which helped Kyle Busch excel at the 1.5-mile oval. Driving the No. 7 Chevy for Spire Motorsports, the racer led the most laps (80 out of 135) at Atlanta Motor Speedway and pulled ahead of the No. 52 Truck driven by Stewart Friesen to secure a narrow .017-second win in what looked like a side-by-side finish. To say that it was a competitive race would be an understatement, as nearly half of the cars went door-to-door against Rowdy in the closing 20 laps.

Going by the result, one can’t help but feel that Kyle Busch could have fought for a win at the Daytona 500 had he not been wrecked by Joey Logano toward the end. Driving the No. 8 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, ‘Rowdy’ suffered four flat tires as a result of the crash and was forced back into the ‘work area’ after the air jack system didn’t work. Confusion over the updated Damage Vehicle Policy (DVP) rules meant that the veteran racer wasn’t allowed to get back into the race, forcing him to retire early.

Busch even said after the Daytona 500, “Looked like the fastest car got in a hurry to get to the wreck,” venting his frustration at Joey Logano. But that’s not all. Rowdy also scrutinized NASCAR’s DVP, saying, “We got beat by NASCAR procedures again”. So after all this criticism, one would expect Busch to dominate if the circumstances were consistent, and the driving wasn’t reckless. And that’s exactly what he did, staying true to his word with a win in Atlanta for the second year running.

As the focus now shifts to the Cup Series, could the outcome be different at the 2025 Ambetter Health 400 if drivers race cleanly at the 1.5-mile oval?

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Busch thoroughly enjoyed competing in Atlanta

Kyle Busch had a reputation to maintain. Going into the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ‘Rowdy’ was already the winningest driver in the Truck Series history. However, knowing that the expectations from the two-time Cup Series winner will be at an all-time high, the 39-year-old left no stone unturned to get a result at the 2025 Fr8 208. It was the veteran racer’s eighth win at Atlanta Motor Speedway and his third Truck Series triumph in the last six attempts, highlighting that he still has what it takes to compete when the conditions are right.

Reflecting on his result, Busch said, “Awesome run for this Spire Chevrolet and everybody at [sponsor] Gainbridge. Just trying to make sure I stayed as far forward as I possibly could. Those guys would cycle to me and get to the next one in front, next one in front of me and I just made sure to keep battling back and got back to the front so I could control it the best I could. That inside [lane] was good, they were rolling forward so it made for a heck of a race.”

Kyle Busch will now aim to carry the momentum into the Cup Series, where he will compete at the 2025 AmBetter Health 400. The Nevada native finished third in the fixture last year, falling just 0.007 seconds behind eventual-winner Daniel Suarez at the 1.5-mile track. The Richard Childress Racing driver will be eager to prove a point, having not won a race at the highest level since the 2023 Enjoy Illinois 300. However, will the second race of the season see drivers competing ‘cleanly’ at Atlanta Motor Speedway? Or will ‘Rowdy’ suffer yet another heartbreak at the 1.5-mile oval? Let us know in the comments!