Kyle Busch hasn’t won an Xfinity race in the last two years. The last he took the checkered flag, was at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July 2021 while still driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He skipped the 2022 season and went winless in his four starts last year with Kaulig Racing. And the best result after that came in 2023 when he finished P4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
However, as RCR is set to run a third NXS entry for the first time, the post-All-Star race drama that unfolded between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr is still making headlines. Just as the dust started to settle, it seemed like tension was still high as the drivers headed into the weekend for the Coca-Cola 600. In an unexpected event, Cup series rookie Carson Hocevar interviewed Kyle Busch on FOX’s behalf, which was both a challenge and an opportunity for the rookie, but he kept it under the water and fired the question that everyone wanted to ask.
Kyle Busch is reluctant to address the brawl
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FOX Sports decided to put a new NASCAR entry up for interview during the pre-race ahead of NASCAR Xfinity this week. Carson Hocevar’s (the new interviewer) interview with Busch was perceived by many as a deliberate attempt to stir the pot and capitalize on the ongoing drama surrounding the physical altercation between Busch and Stenshouse Jr.
While discussing what Kyle Busch’s strategy is going to be for the race, Hocevar asked the one question that everyone has been itching to ask Kyle Busch, “Yeah, well, you know the journalism, you know the job. Obviously, I’m going to ask you about last week. Where are you and Ricky? From personal and everybody else, you know, after you exchange conversations, where are you guys at?”
“I’m ready for today.”- Kyle Busch
(You know he 𝒉𝙖𝒅 to ask. Nice work, @CarsonHocevar 😂) pic.twitter.com/vYdLp6Q3aO
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 25, 2024
Fans who were watching the broadcast were early waiting for Busch to clap back at Stenhouse Jr. But Busch being Busch made it very clear that he was unwilling to comment on the incident with Stenhouse Jr, said, “Uh, I’m ready for today. Let’s go.” Yes, that’s Rowdy completely avoiding the rookie’s question. Could it be his way to stay out of the Sanctioning body’s eyes?
But Busch charged forward into the race putting the whole drama behind him ready to put his best foot forward.
Rowdy on his success to win any race at Charlotte
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Kyle Busch, who is 39, has more wins than any other driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series history. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has won 102 NXS races, as well as the 2009 series title. The closest driver to him on the all-time wins list is Mark Martin, who is 49, less than half of Busch’s impressive total.
It will be Busch’s first NXS start with Richard Childress Racing, a team he joined ahead of the 2023 NASCAR Cup season. He has three wins as an RCR driver in the Cup Series but is winless so far this year.
Carson Hocevar’s interview with Kyle Busch before the Xfinity Series race at Charlotte provided insights into Busch’s strategy and his mindset heading into the race. Starting from the second position, Busch emphasized the importance of the tire grip, “Uh, grip. You know, you gotta have front and you gotta have rear, but here in Charlotte, as the pace kind of falls off, and as the tires get aged, it tends to free up, so making sure you’ve got that long run speed with the rear tires is going to be where it’s at.”
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If we talk about Busch at Charlotte (Cup and Xfinity together), he has some good stats there. Not just with Joe Gibbs Racing or Richard Childress, Busch has had some good runs here with the winningest team as well. In 2005, while running his No. 5 Chevy, he finished P2. Later, with JGR, he won six times at Charlotte, which in itself is a big achievement for Toyota, the team, and Busch himself.
Now that Kyle Busch is back with Chevy at RCR, he looks forward to winning more runs here.