2023 unleashed a whirlwind that left fans gobsmacked. Kyle Busch, the man known for his Toyota loyalty over the past decade a half, took everyone by surprise as he hopped into a Chevy. The news hit like a thunderbolt, making Busch’s exit from Joe Gibbs Racing sound like a soap opera finale. With his new ride and a shiny array of sponsors, Busch and the Richard Childress gang laid their cards on the table. Childress declared, “A lot of people ask me why I’m still in this sport.” He said, “I’m still wanting to win that next Cup championship.” But the 2023 season had other plans.

Last weekend, the Busch-Childress duo missed the championship bus to Phoenix, leaving behind heavy hearts. Now the two will have to wait until 2024 for their next shot at glory. Amidst this racing saga, the legendary Dale Earnhardt Jr. chimed in, offering candid views on the once-heralded racing prodigy.

Dale Jr confesses the one thing he hated about Kyle Busch’s past

As the curtain closed on 2022, Kyle Busch’s relationship with Joe Gibbs had hit rock bottom. But the gears shifted as 2023 dawned, and the 38-year-old seemed to be on a rocket-fueled upward trajectory, snatching 3 wins right out of the gate. It all seemed like a symphony building to a crescendo, only to be cut short abruptly. The sweet melody of success suddenly turned into a discordant tune.

Disastrous runs plagued Kyle Busch, and he found himself struggling to even make it into the playoff round of 12. The closer the No. 8 Chevy got to the round of 8 cutline, the more things unraveled. Despite a strong P3 finish at the Charlotte Roval, Kyle Busch failed to secure his ticket into the next playoff round. It looks like the season has slipped through his fingers.

Still reeling from the fresh wounds of disappointment, Dale Jr. took to Twitter to shine a spotlight on Kyle Busch’s undeniable talent. In a tweet thread discussing the love-hate relationship fans have with Cup drivers dominating the Xfinity Series, Junior weighed in, acknowledging Busch’s dominance, which no longer seems to be there. “I personally liked when we had 15 or so running big events like Daytona and Charlotte. (As an owner) I didn’t like losing to @KyleBusch every week. No disrespect. He’s a wheelman. But that was a LOT of losing.”

Dale Jr. paid tribute to the raw talent that Rowdy possesses and reminisced about the “old school” days of NASCAR when Cup drivers could compete in 15 races in the junior series, a number now reduced to just five.

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The Roval rollercoaster: How Rowdy’s playoff dreams derailed

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In the tumultuous ride that has been Rowdy’s 2023 season, it’s been a rollercoaster of wins, slumps, and playoff hopes dangling by a thread. Three victories set the stage but then came the plummet in the standings and the looming threat of elimination. Then, there was the dramatic showdown at the Bank of America Roval 400, where Kyle Busch knew that only a win would keep him in the Playoffs.

With 57 laps remaining, the dream seemed within reach. Kyle Busch was leading at the time, and he continued to showcase his restart mastery through restarts in the final laps. The final restart, with 10 laps to go, was the moment of truth. Busch lined up inside, just next to leader AJ Allmendinger, and as they launched forward, Allmendinger’s bump gave William Byron the leverage to pass Busch’s No. 8, leaving him in P3.

Reflecting on these tumultuous weeks, Rowdy owned up to the reality, as he exclaimed, “The bigger defining factor of the last two weeks is the last two weeks, not scoring enough points. That’s on me. Just not doing a good job at Texas when we did have a good car.”

As the grid gears up for Martinsville, the Nevada native despite being out of the playoffs and finishing P18 at Homestead Miami this weekend, can Kyle Busch pull off a victory?

Read More: Falling Short of Playoff Goal, Was Leaving Joe Gibbs a Good Decision for Kyle Busch?