Kyle Busch Uses “Hornet’s Nest” Reference to Dismiss Any Chance of Winning at Atlanta

Considering his dull last season with Joe Gibbs Racing, 2023 has been a ball for the 2-time Cup Series champ, Kyle Busch. While NASCAR’s “Rowdy” could only claim a single win in 2022, with 7 more races to the playoff, Busch already has 3 wins to his name and is cruising steadily as a solid title contender.

Despite his stellar finish at WWT Raceway at Gateway and 7 top-5 finishes, Busch just couldn’t win at the revamped Atlanta Motor Speedway. Following the shortened race, “bad boy” Busch has come out to reveal the precarious situation that he was in during the race.

With drivers going all out on the track from the get-go because of the imminent rain, Busch details the “hornet’s nest” he was caught in.

“Rowdy” Kyle Busch gets real about the tight spot he was caught up in Atlanta

Going into the race, Busch was the favorite to win at the reconfigured Georgia track, even trumping the native, Chase Elliott, on the home track. However, the damp and cloudy conditions of the race day pointed towards an inevitable downpour. Shortening the race by 75 laps, things were tense from the start.

To put things into simple terms, it was an all-out war for points going into the playoffs. The frantic pace of the field meant a rapid change of positions with the Fords gaining an early advantage when Ryan Blaney won stage 1. Whereas, Busch clearly struggled to hold ground in the chaos, falling down the pack. But Busch being Busch quickly adapted to the conditions to come back, finishing the race 5th while his KBM prodigy, William Byron clinched his 4th win at Atlanta.

Following the race, Busch detailed the struggle of getting holed up in the “hornets’ nest,” unable to pass. When asked about the frantic pace, Busch said, “From where I was, it wasn’t that bad because I was kind of single file and in 5th but I bet you little further on back from where I was at, there was 2 wide, 3 wide, everything else so that’s where I was much of the day. 

“I was in the, I don’t know, what you even call it, the hornet’s nest most of the day and just could not bust my way through. I felt like I was about to twice. And just something would happen that would chuck me back again, you know,” said Busch reflecting on the tight lanes of the Super Speedway. 

READ MORE: Massive Blow for Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch as Atlanta Weekend Already Turning Sour for the Two

With Busch looking to make a mark this season, he also mentioned that there’s still scope for improvement in the team.

Kyle Busch suggests a “clean up” after Atlanta

Trending

Tony Stewart’s Business Partner Sells Off Iconic ‘Mini Eldora’ Racetrack

Jeff Gordon Pays His Respect to Motorsports Legend Who Helped Him Break Into the Big Leagues

HMS Legend’s Demise Has Emotional Jeff Gordon Echoing Rick Hendrick’s Humble Admission

87-YO Richard ‘The King’ Petty on Cloud Nine, Blessed With 2 New Family Members

Kenny Wallace Left Baffled by an Anonymous NASCAR Executive’s Response to Michael Jordans’ In-Court Victory

Following the race, the #8 driver opened up about the race and the errors the team is still making. Speaking to NBC’s Dustin Long, he said, “We for sure see the mistakes that we’re making. We need to get better on all of that, we all need to clean up our work.”

He further detailed his strenuous effort trying to depart from the nest. “I was so close on a couple of times on breaking through into the top 10/ top 8 in order to get that track position, to finally get out of that swarm, out of that nest, but I’d get chucked to the bottom and I’d get sucked back or I’d get put up in the fence with the Noah Gragson thing,” said the 38-year-old.

As Busch improved his position in the standings climbing to the third spot after Atlanta, the race winner Byron surpassed his mentor claiming the zenith with 628 points, 36 points ahead of Busch.

WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Busch’s concerns become a reality as fans bash the Chicago race after an unwanted stoppage