The results from Sunday’s Charlotte Roval race have left everyone startled. Road course specialist AJ Allmendinger turned to his preferred choice of racetracks to clinch a memorable win despite not being eligible for the playoffs. AJ’s win came on an evening when former Cup Series champion Kyle Busch had a tragic end to his season alongside three other drivers. The #8 Chevrolet Camaro driver for Richard Childress Racing has mainly struggled mechanically and in terms of pace in the playoffs.

Owing to this, his playoff run came to a halt alongside some game veterans, like Brad Keselowski. One day after Xfinity race winner Sam Mayer turned the race around on its head, Kyle Busch looked to go around the same lines. He fell short of a P1 finish and finished in P3. A P1 finish would have landed Rowdy in a final 8 spot, but he lost all hope as the evening unfolded.

It’s curtains for Kyle Busch and his hopes of a third championship

Coming into the race, Kyle Busch was the worst-placed driver in the point standings. Last on the list of 12 eligible drivers, Rowdy desperately needed a win to secure passage to the penultimate round of elimination. Hendrick Motorsports rising star and #24 driver William Byron, who finished P2, chased behind Busch for a long stretch. Busch and Allmendinger battled for the lead in the final stage until Byron broke through into second.

For Kyle Busch, a horror show for teammate Martin Truex Jr. on top of a P3 finish would have sufficed. However, that would have also implied the regular season champion’s exclusion. All in all, winning the race was the only option for him. While road courses haven’t exactly been the #8 team’s best friend, Busch’s outing definitely packed a punch. Speaking to the media after a heartbreaking dejection at Charlotte, he said,

“The resilience of the team is by far greater than mine probably you know. I’ve put ourselves in a lot of bad spots, and they’ve just come to work on Monday and fought and battled through it and given us another good car to go the next week with.”

” A lot of it rides on me just getting sloppy, and not doing a very good job. I’m not making excuses, but trying to figure this car out. I just lose the balance of it. Did it again today, was able to get a third out of it but probably would have been worse off than that if it wasn’t for the track position.” claimed Busch.

Three other drivers who faced a similar fate as Rowdy were Keselowski, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace. An unexpected ousting from the playoffs for Brad Keselowski, who has been solid so far this season undoubtedly.

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Rowdy wants to finish the season on a high note

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In hindsight, Kyle Busch has had a great season regardless of his elimination. Three wins in the regular season, strong performances on unpredictable tracks, and a playoff spot are a good string of outcomes. As for the 38-year-old, he is hoping to be able to recreate some of the regular-season success in the last remaining races, he said.

“That’s what we want to do—go out on a high and win a few more races. That would definitely be good. You know, I look forward to Vegas. Vegas is my home track, so I want to go out there and run good,” said the 2014 Cup Series champ.

After the recent sale of Kyle Busch Motorsports, one might feel that a sense of misfortune might have played a part here. But if someone has been a follower of the sport for some years, they would know what Busch is all about. The never-say-die attitude and ability to back it up have made him what he is, and he has surely maintained that over the years.

“Then we’ve got Homestead, which has always been a pretty good track for me, and of course Phoenix, as well. I would love to be the spoiler on that Sunday. That would be fun. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’ll keep building, and the first year at RCR means a lot to me for Richard (Childress) having me and for the Chevy guys having me, everybody, to get this far.” stated Kyle Busch, elaborating on the small-term achievements he would like to fulfill this season.

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All in all, 2023 has been a good start for a new partnership between Mr. Childress and Kyle Busch. Moving into next season, Busch will be in the spotlight again, aside from the usual attention given to the performances of his teammates.