Kyle Busch Delivers a Major Blow to NASCAR’s Search for the Next Dale Earnhardt

Today, NASCAR has great drivers but not a single superstar. The sport has always relied on the value of the drivers taking center stage. Richard Petty did it during his run in the 60s and 70s, and then came the era of the ‘Intimidator’, Dale Earnhardt, who reigned supreme until the 90s. Thereafter came the likes of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who further carried the sport on their backs.

Unfortunately, the current generation of drivers just hasn’t been able to replicate the success of their predecessors. In contrast, the product of racing, rules, and structuring have had their say in curbing any dominant streaks by the drivers. But that has further added to the woes of the decline of the sport, and without a central figure, NASCAR feels just different, not in a good way.

Kyle Busch, who is among the only current two drivers to have won multiple championships, addressed this issue ahead of the Kansas race, stating that the current generation of drivers, including himself, have not been able to retain the hardcore fans. Further signifying how the lack of star drivers has hampered the growth and progress of the sport.

Why can’t we have the next NASCAR superstar driver?

Multiple reasons contribute to this mystery. However, the biggest of them is the idea of parity racing with the NextGen car. Not only do all the teams and drivers share the same equipment, but now they can get hold of SMT data from the rival camp. This effectively has killed the potential of the team, stringing a run of dominant results. This just didn’t affect the drivers, but the idea of parity racing wasn’t taken well by hardcore fans.

Highlighting the concerns, Kyle Busch further explained how this change in racing saw them lose out on ardent NASCAR fans of the past decades. “I’m not sure what it is, but you have the die-hard fans of NASCAR—of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Harry Gant … you name it. Our world now, in 2024, has a lot different fan base that’s following along.” He said this via the Kansas City Star.

While NASCAR has undergone many changes, it probably missed out on focusing on its biggest selling point, the drivers. It’s hard to see a Jeff Gordon fan still follow the sport and root for the likes of Kyle Larson or William Byron. “They kind of all probably went away, just stopped following as much. Which is hard to say because honestly, when you look at NASCAR, the fans love the drivers. The driver star power, that’s what brings people to the racetrack, is the drivers.” Busch added.

As far as Rowdy’s 2024 season is concerned, he still hasn’t been able to find his groove with his RCR team. Forget about competing for championships; he finds it hard to compete for wins in the No. 8 car. But all he needs is one good result to build on, and the Kansas race this weekend might just help him with that.

Kyle Busch himself is turning the corner slowly but steadily

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Taking out the Talladega massacre, Rowdy has managed two top-ten finishes in his last three starts. In a season where his ability to run consistently has been plagued by pit crew drama and early DNFs, the string of positive results just might be enough for him to make a push for victory at Kansas Speedway.

This streak of finishes is his best since last fall when he drove back-to-back top fives at Las Vegas and Charlotte. Pole wins had been extinct since his early runs in 2024, but the good news for the No. 8 RCR team was that they managed to start on the pole and finish fourth. The Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing cars are real contenders for every race, and if Busch somehow manages to stay on their tail till the late run, he might fancy his chances for the win this weekend.

Comeback stories just started to pick up pace with Chase Elliott’s triumph at Texas. Perhaps the AdventHealth 400 event has something similar in store for the Rowdy fans, who have long been hoping for him to return to winning ways.