Kyle Busch not being in the playoffs came as a shocker to many fans, but what got to them was the thought of him not winning a single race the entire season. Busch is no stranger to being the first to cross the checkered flag and despite his immense success over the years, 2024 has just not been his year.

With just 2 more races left for the season to end, it’s impossible to say if he will win a race. However, one thing seems certain: the chances are slim. Although fans might have a hundred things to say about Busch’s performance this season, a more experienced critic recently shared. Ever since the playoffs started, the No. 8 RCR driver has been far from a win. Former Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Tifft, in an exclusive interview, discussed Busch’s position this year.

Matt Tifft’s take on Kyle Busch’s

Kyle Busch is looked at as the driver that would carry Richard Childress Racing into the playoffs. Austin Dillon might have won a race this year, but because of his methods of wrecking Joey Logano to take the win, he was denied a playoff spot. In most races, it’s the 39-year-old that is the leading RCR driver and that’s something Matt Tifft has noticed.

In a recent exclusive chat with Brahmi Dhaytadak from EssentiallySports, Matt Tifft opened up about the struggles Richard Childress Racing faces and how Kyle Busch’s drive for perfection might be pushing the limits too far. Tifft didn’t mince words when asked if RCR was utilizing its full potential with Kyle Busch on board.

“Oh yeah,” he responded, stating that while Kyle Busch usually outshines teammate Austin Dillon when they have competitive cars, the reality has been a bit grimmer lately. “When they have their stuff together, you know they can win races. Unfortunately, they just haven’t had cars that have been good enough very often.”

This lack of consistent performance has led to some frustrating moments for the veteran Richard Childress Racing driver. Tifft pointed out that in the latter part of the season, Busch has been pushing his car to the limit, trying to make up for lost ground. “He probably overdid a couple races in a row and ended up crashing out where he could have had solid top-five, top-ten finishes.” It’s a stark contrast to the Kyle Busch that fans are used to seeing, the one who often finds success in top-tier equipment.

Tifft explained that when you’re in a position like Busch’s, where you feel the need to extract every bit of speed from the car, it can lead to risky situations and sometimes even overstepping the line. “When you have to overstep those bounds and try to catch up to cars that are just better than you, it puts you in a very dangerous position. If you drive it 95 percent of the car’s capability, you can run very strong races. But when you go from that 95 to 100 percent—that five percent difference—that’s where you run into incidents. You’re pushing it to the absolute limit, and sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Despite how the season has gone so far, Kyle Busch hasn’t yet given up on winning.

Kyle Busch wants to win during the final 2 races

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63 wins and two championships over a remarkable two-decade career should be enough for anyone, but not Kyle Busch. However, this season has brought about a notable shift for the veteran driver. For the first time, he finds himself on the outside looking in, excluded from the playoffs, and categorized as one of the “other guys” who are fighting for wins without championship contention.

Busch has had to adjust to this unfamiliar territory, where the stakes are different, and the pressure isn’t weighing him down as it usually does. “It’s definitely different,” he noted, acknowledging the mindset shift that comes with racing without the burden of championship hopes. With only 2 races left in the 2024 season, Busch is keenly aware of the ticking clock. He hasn’t tasted victory since June 2023, which is concerning for someone who has historically maintained a streak of at least one win per season for the past 20 years.

Reflecting on missed opportunities, he pointed out a recent race where strategic decisions could have led to a different outcome. “We just kind of missed out on one last week,” he explained, realizing that the competitive edge he used to rely on might be slipping through his fingers. With that said, do you think that Busch will be able to maintain his record or will it all fall apart this year?