Since 2005, Kyle Busch has been on a relentless quest for the Daytona 500 crown. With a trophy cabinet boasting over 200 wins across NASCAR’s national series and two Cup Series titles, the elusive Harley J. Earl Trophy remains the one gap in his collection. This year marked Busch’s twentieth shot at clinching victory in the “Great American Race.”

From navigating the aftermath of a chaotic qualifier to steering a backup car in the main showdown, and even facing a setback due to a pit crew penalty, Busch weathered quite the storm. Yet, determined not to repeat past errors, #8 and his crew are taking a bold step forward—they’re shaking things up with some fresh faces in the team.

Busch’s pit road troubles at the Daytona 500 led to a major replacement

At this year’s Daytona 500, Kyle Busch’s pit road issue turned into a major game-changer for his crew. Mid-race, during a crucial pit stop, Busch’s #8 team fumbled with a lug nut, leaving the front left wheel-less secure. The slip-up led Richard Childress Racing to swap out their jackman, bringing in Garrett Crall from the Alfredo Xfinity crew to fill the spot, as announced by Bob Pockrass in a tweet.

“After issues on pit road last week, Kyle Busch will have a new jackman this week with with Garrett Crall (who jacked the Alfredo Xfinity car last week and is still on that car as well) replacing Josh Sobecki.”

But this wasn’t Busch’s first rodeo, and luck wasn’t riding shotgun. An early penalty had him starting from the back, making a comeback tougher than a two-dollar steak. Despite the shaky start and the pit road drama, Busch was behind the wheel of his backup car, determined to turn his fortunes around.

And then again, trouble struck once more when his crew’s slight negligence left his tire a bit loose, almost bringing on another penalty for him. In fact, one could see, sparks flowing as he limped back to the pit, but he managed to avoid disaster and rejoined the race, albeit further down the pack.

Miraculously, somehow, Kyle Busch and his crew turned things around, with the #8 slicing through the field to lead the pack, showcasing the kind of comeback that would make a Hollywood scriptwriter blush. However, this ride at Daytona surely had Childress spitting fire over the radio, a clear sign that the pit crew needed to tighten up their act. Reflecting on last year’s heartache at Daytona with Kevin Harvick, one can only wonder how Busch is processing this year’s ride.

#8 opens up about his biggest regret in his 21-year-long career

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Kyle Busch recently shared a walk down memory lane, touching on what might just be the thorn in his side from his two decades in the driver’s seat. After shifting from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing, Kyle hit Daytona with a bang last year, almost grabbing the win until a big crash flipped the script, letting Ricky Stenhouse Jr zoom past to victory.

Rowdy, who had been a frontrunner for a brief spell, found himself in the eye of the storm alongside Austin Dillon, only to see his Daytona dream vanish in the rearview mirror, alongside the likes of Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski. Chewing over this bitter pill with Harvick, Kyle laid it bare, “That one probably stung the worst just thinking because I even said it over the radio like I was like if this was 1998 when Dale won, I would have won. Like the race was over, we come back around the next time, and it’s yellow and Checkered you know.”

Read More: “That One …Stung the Worse” – Kyle Busch Reveals One of His Biggest Regrets in His 21 Year Long Career

Kyle Busch owned up to the ache of letting such a prime opportunity slip through his fingers, remarking on the pity of missing out on these moments. With Garrett Crall joining the No. 8 team, do you think Atlanta will be a better run for Busch?