Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have been through the wringer in 2024, hitting a low point that made a playoff spot seem like a distant dream. Before the Olympic break, hardly anyone outside of die-hard RCR and Rowdy fans thought they stood a chance. But after the Brickyard 400, something clicked, and Busch almost raced his way into the playoffs.

Busch nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback in the regular season finale at Darlington. However, Chase Briscoe’s late-race heroics ended his playoff hopes, marking the first time since 2014 that Busch missed the cut. Kevin Harvick, who was rooting for Busch, was crushed to see him fall short after all the effort RCR put in.

Kyle Busch in the playoffs would make noise, says Kevin Harvick

During the Olympic break, while others rested, the RCR team was grinding. Their biggest issue? Lack of speed and clear setups. Before the break, Busch had only two top-five finishes in 23 races. After the break, they found a new formula, with Busch snagging three straight top-five results, including two runner-ups at the Coke Zero 400 and Southern 500.

It was a case of too little, too late. Despite the late-season surge, Busch and RCR were left wondering what could have been if they’d found their groove a bit sooner.

Kyle Busch making the playoff would’ve added another interesting storyline, according to Kevin Harvick. “When you look at Kyle Busch, kudos to RCR for what they’ve done since the Olympic break. Those cars were not very good for the most part for the first 26 weeks. Both of those cars of Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch have been capable of running up front and leading laps.” Harvick said this on the Happy Hour podcast No. 53.

While Busch wasn’t able to make the cut, the likes of Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, and Harrison Burton pulled off big upsets. Securing their place in the playoffs against all odds, but Harvick feels they wouldn’t be able to make a sizeable impact in the knockout stages. “I think it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to see Kyle make his way through the playoffs because I really do feel like he could make some noise, and there are a couple of guys that aren’t going to make much noise and get eliminated.” He added.

However, the job is far from done for Rowdy and RCR, as they have some unfinished business to take care of in upcoming races.

A 20th-year win streak for Rowdy is still on the line

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying the fact that Kyle Busch is one of the most decorated NASCAR drivers of all time. Apart from his championship-winning exploits, he also holds several impressive records. A 19-year win streak in NASCAR is one of the major highlights of his career. For 19 years straight, Busch has managed to get his race car into the victory lane. And he is eager to make it 20th this year.

He even accepted his faith or potential of not making the playoffs mid-season but stressed the importance of his personal goals. “I’m not stressing over the playoffs, probably as much as I’m stressing the 20-year win streak.” He said this in an interview with Bob Pockrass. The RCR star’s last win came at the World Wide Technology Racing Centre, and since then he’s trying his best to repeat the feat in 2024.

With 10 races left in the season, he certainly can bank on his recent run to keep alive his winning streak. And in doing so, he might be able to add his chaotic touch to the playoffs. Without even competing for the championship.