Whether you are a Kyle Busch hater or a member of Rowdy Nation, here are the Las Vegas native’s five worst seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series.
#5 The 2023 season with Richard Childress Racing
There’s no easy way to describe Kyle Busch’s first season at Richard Childress Racing. He struggled to stay consistent during the summer while also finishing in the back of the pack for several weeks.
Things only got worse in the playoffs, where Busch was out after the first round due to an 11th-place finish at Darlington, a seventh-place finish at Kansas, and a 20th-place showing at Bristol. Busch also only grabbed two more top-ten finishes that year.
2023 was the fourth straight year that Busch missed the championship four and didn’t get to compete for a championship. It’s becoming clear that his championship window is closing.
#4 The 2005 season with Hendrick
Your rookie year is a time to learn the ropes of NASCAR’s Cup Series and start making a name for yourself. Kyle Busch set out to do this during his rookie season in 2005 but had no consistency. For example, he brought home two victories that year while struggling to stay in the title picture. He finished 20th or worse in 20 of the 36 races.
He didn’t even record his first top ten until finishing second at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the third race of the year. After this, he suffered an up-and-down start to the season and only somewhat recovered in the second half. Busch eventually nabbed his first victory at California Speedway and his second one at Phoenix a month later. However, these weren’t enough to help him much in the points, and he finished 20th as a result.
The problem with Busch’s 2005 showing is that he was with Hendrick Motorsports and had the best equipment in the sport. Keep in mind that this is the same Hendrick Motorsports that Jimmie Johnson was winning champions with at the same time.
#3 The 2009 season with Joe Gibbs Racing
Kyle Busch has been in some tight spots throughout his Cup Series career, but 2009 marks a low point. He was just coming off a disappointing first season with Joe Gibbs Racing that saw him finish 10th and win three races. Despite going to victory lane in his first year with a new team, he still struggled.
Fast forward to 2009, and one would think these problems would be solved. That team chemistry after that first season could move them forward. That didn’t happen, however. Problems started at Daytona, where he finished 41st in the biggest race of 2009
He later recovered for a third-place finish at California and a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch also won Bristol just two weeks later for another huge points payday towards the championship. Things quickly went downhill after, with a 24th place finish at Martinsville, an 18th place showing at Texas, and a 17th place finish at Phoenix.
When all was said and done, Busch scored four wins and looked like a title contender at times. What he didn’t have was the consistency needed to win a championship under the old points system.
#2 The 2020 season with Joe Gibbs Racing
2020 is a significant year in Kyle Busch’s career for several reasons. This season marks the first time in five years that Buch failed to make the championship four in the NASCAR Cup Series This is also the first in 15 years that the Las Vegas native didn’t win a single race until the postseason.
He ultimately finished eighth in that year’s championship standings with 14 top-fives,2o top-fives, and one victory.
There’s just no way to deny that this is where Busch’s downfall started. Usually, he is very poised in the playoffs and able to get through the rounds easily. Instead, he didn’t build up enough wins or bonus points to get him through. That means he started every round at a deficit compared to the other drivers and couldn’t afford a mistake. Unfortunately for Busch, that’s exactly what happened in the second round.
#1 The 2024 season with Richard Childress Racing
No matter how it ends, 2024 will become one of Kyle Busch’s worst seasons at the NASCAR Cup Series level! He is already winless in the first 33 races of the season and has put up some of his career’s most underwhelming performances. Buch also missed the playoffs for the first time under the new playoff format, making things worse.
Busch has been slipping in performance for a long time, and 2024 seems like proof. He has gone from five straight final-four appearances to finishing eighth or worse in the standings.
Busch started the season with a 12th-place finish at Daytona, which wasn’t bad. Fast forward ten weeks, and he only managed three top ten’s in the first ten races of the season. He also finished 20th or worse in four of those ten races.
The summer hasn’t been much kinder. Despite a fourth at Dover and an eight-place finish at Kansas, Busch proceeded to go on one of the worst runs of his career. This includes a 27th-place finish at Darlington, 15th at Charlotte, and 35th at Gateway. Now he’s in jeopardy of losing his consecutive seasons with a victory streak.
Busch set the record last year by surpassing Richard Petty’s mark of 18 consecutive seasons with a victory.
