Kyle Busch, piloting the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing car, endured another setback during Saturday’s qualifying session at Kansas Speedway, compounding the mounting frustrations in what has become a turbulent NASCAR Cup Series season for the seasoned driver. After a promising start to 2025, Busch found himself tangling with the outside wall, ultimately qualifying 35th just as his team hoped for a turnaround. The incident not only dented his vehicle, but also intensified the sense of urgency surrounding both Busch and his crew, who have seen recent performances slip away after early-season momentum.
The opening weeks of the campaign showed flashes of the two-time champion’s trademark competitiveness, with three top-10 finishes in the first four races. However, since that impressive run, Kyle Busch has struggled to regain his form—managing just a single top 10 at Darlington and suffering four results of 20th or worse over the next seven events. This inconsistency stands in stark contrast to his teammate, Austin Dillon, who, after a rocky start, has recently notched three consecutive top 10s and a strong seventh-place finish at Texas.
Heading into Kansas, optimism simmered in the No. 8 camp, especially after last year’s race where Busch led late before an unforced crash ended his day. The hope was to rewrite that narrative, but as qualifying unfolded, a critical mistake sent Busch into the wall, echoing past frustrations and sending a wave of disappointment through the team.
Team communications captured the tense atmosphere as the incident happened. Spotter Derek Kneeland’s frustration was audible as he remarked,
“Let me guess — we were probably tracking in the green until that happened,”
expressing his belief that Busch was on pace for a much stronger lap. Crew chief Randall Burnett’s reply acknowledged the lost opportunity—
“Oh, probably been about fifth, sixth”
—before offering encouragement, saying,
“Sorry man. We’ll get you tuned up for tomorrow.”
The damage, however, was clear, with Kneeland stating,
“Right side’s [expletive] killed. We drug it from about the end of the billboards of the Craftsman logo all the way until we were straight off of four.”
Shortly after, a resigned Busch calmly asked,
“Do we have a garage number?”
further reflecting the weight of the ongoing struggles.
With Kyle Busch qualifying deep in the field while Austin Dillon secured the 20th spot, the disparity between the two teammates continues to shape the narrative within Richard Childress Racing. As the team prepares for Sunday’s main event, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on FS1, questions linger about whether Busch can steer the No. 8 car out of its current slide. For now, the crash at Kansas not only marks another challenging chapter in Busch’s season but amplifies the pressure, leaving fans and analysts alike watching closely to see how the veteran handles the intensifying adversity and what steps the team will take to recover in the races ahead.
So good at counting Kyle Busch out. I hope you have to eat your WORDS. KMA