As the Round of 8 heads to Vegas, the deck is balanced on the playoff aces. Subverting expectations, a non-playoff driver emerged victorious at the Roval roulette. This weekend’s showdown of South Point 400 promises a similar upheaval from the discarded pile.

Kyle Busch‘s title hopes faced a permanent setback in the Round of 12. But Richard Childress Racing‘s trump card still poses a monumental threat to the remaining players’ priceless chips.

NASCAR analyst dismisses playoff driver’s chances in favor of Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch

With four drivers eliminated, the spotlight basks the Top 8 contenders in impending glory. Hendrick Motorsports‘ William Byron is the undoubted favorite, with an earlier win on the mile-and-half racetrack this season. Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin can rest easy with recent victories on the Las Vegas tri-oval. Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Martin Truex Jr. has previously displayed impressive skills, but his recent form poses uncertainties for the regular-season champion.

However, an objective prediction would be incomplete without including non-playoff drivers. Kaulig Racing‘s A.J. Allmendinger became a prime example of a non-playoff racer triumphing over qualified contenders at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. And in the past three years, the best track record in Las Vegas has been held by 2X champion Kyle Busch. The #8 driver’s inspiring average finish of 6.9 compelled NBC analyst Dave Burns to root for this defeated star as the probable leader in this weekend’s race.

Burns confided, “I’m going to take the hometown boy, Kyle Bush. I just feel like after what he’s done with RCR this year and they’ve had some things that haven’t gone their way and his determination to drive this car the way it needs to be driven might take him to victory lane this weekend. So for me, a non-playoff driver in the spotlight this weekend is going to be Kyle Bush.”

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Despite this exciting association with the Intimidator’s legendary team, Busch could not recreate RCR’s former glory so far.

Kyle Busch will be back with the Intimidator’s bang in the next playoff season

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When former Joe Gibbs driver Kyle Busch relocated his affiliations to Richard Childress Racing at the end of last season, the racing community was assured of another championship this year. RCR was in dire need of Dale Earnhardt’s irreproachable talent, and Busch sought fresher avenues to refuel his dwindling engines. It was touted as the perfect recipe for this season’s success.

Unfortunately, a stupendous start with three wins somehow faltered when the playoffs began. A single Top 10 led to a must-win situation at the Charlotte Roval and even a third-place finish could not salvage the #8 driver’s tumultuous playoff journey. Nevertheless, this season became the harbinger of endless future possibilities for this Busch-Childress alliance.

Read More: Amid Rumors of Comeback, Kyle Buschs’ Former Exiled Driver Prepares to Make a Statement as He Heads to Familiar Territory

The veteran racer still has ample time left to contribute to this riveting sport. Next year, he would have settled in more comfortably in the Next Gen car with his new team. Until then, the playoff racers better beware of Busch as they roll the dice in Las Vegas.