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Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series turning all the eyeballs around him but a striking thing other than his win has been the broken streak of Kyle Busch. For the first time in two decades, Kyle Busch finished a NASCAR Cup Series season without a victory.
Since his rookie year in 2005, Busch had never failed to win at least one race each season, even reaching the eight-win mark in both 2008 and 2018. His remarkable 19-season streak of wins set an all-time record, one he hoped to extend in 2024. However, the year was marked by a significant dip in performance, resulting in the fewest top fives (five), top 10s (10), and laps led (230) of his career. With an 18.3 average finish—his worst since his debut year—2024 proved to be a season full of frustration.
Reflecting on the challenging year during Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Busch described the season as “character building.”
“Certainly frustrating, Just not at all what we had hoped for after some success last year, especially early in the season with three wins. Then we struggled on and off, but this year, we just couldn’t shake the monkey off our back. We had a shot to win late in the day and came close at Daytona and maybe even closer at Kansas, but we just couldn’t pull it off," he said.
He continued, “We had a handful of opportunities that slipped through our fingers. I can’t say we didn’t have chances to win, but we just couldn’t get it done.”
The past two years have brought major changes for Busch, who at 39 is now in his second season with Richard Childress Racing after spending 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing. Over the course of his 18 seasons with JGR, Busch collected 60 wins and two Cup Series championships. His time at JGR ended following the 2022 season, leading him to join RCR. While the end of his win streak is bittersweet, Busch has a more reflective perspective on his historic accomplishment.
“I would have much rather it been — if I’m going to run six, seven more years — that it lasts 25, 26 years, and becomes a mark that no one can reach, right?. But unfortunately, things changed a couple of years ago, and I’m grateful I was able to extend the streak last year and make it my own. But honestly, for there to be guys with 17 seasons, one with 18, and now one with 19, it’s tough to put that many good years together in a row. It’s not easy," Busch said.
Busch future plans
Despite a tough 2024, Busch remains optimistic for the future. Crew chief Randall Burnett will return to lead the No. 8 team, and Richard Childress Racing has made several leadership changes in the offseason, hoping to improve their performance. Keith Rodden, a veteran crew chief and competition director, has been appointed RCR’s vice president of competition. Former Stewart-Haas Racing leaders John Klausmeier and Richard Boswell have also joined the team. Klausmeier will serve as RCR’s technical director, while Boswell will become the new crew chief for Austin Dillon and the legendary No. 3 Chevrolet.
While 2024 didn’t meet Busch’s expectations, there is renewed hope within the team that 2025 will mark the beginning of a fresh win streak.
