Kyle Busch Questions His NASCAR Career After Disappointing Season Brings Him Down

Kyle Busch is facing an uncertain future in NASCAR after what he describes as a deeply disappointing 2024 season. Despite finishing second in the Southern 500 at Darlington, the seasoned driver found himself outpaced by Chase Briscoe, marking his best performance of the year yet still falling short of securing a spot in the postseason. This near miss has led Busch to question his career in the sport.

The Southern 500 saw Busch make a rapid ascent from ninth place to second, largely due to a strategic pit stop where his team equipped four fresh Goodyear tires.

His current stint with Richard Childress Racing started strong in 2023 but saw a steady decline in performance through the middle of the 2024 season.

Despite consistent top-five finishes in recent races, the overall points gap proved too significant to close, resulting in frustrating near misses rather than podium triumphs.

“We missed a lot in the early part of the year, and the middle part of the year to put ourselves in this spot, on the outside looking in,” Busch explained to NBC Sports.

“To come in here for a last-ditch effort and have a shot… early in the race I wouldn’t have thought that we had a shot. I felt like we really overachieved towards the end and got a really good finish for what we had.”

Busch’s disappointment was palpable as he assessed his recent performances and reassessed his future in the sport.

“Maybe I am a washed-up old dog, but hopefully, I can find a few more trophies. I wanted it last week, I wanted it this week, I wanted it in Atlanta, I wanted it in Vegas.

“There’s been a lot of opportunities, (at the) Daytona 500 we were up at the front. Maybe I need two hands to count the opportunities that have slipped away,” Busch remarked with self-doubt.

The 2024 season has been marked by high expectations and repeated frustrations for Busch and his No. 8 team. Despite recent strong finishes, including a narrow third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier in the year, consistent underperformance has overshadowed his occasional successes. Even a seasoned driver can find themselves battling to stay at the top.

NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out Southern 500 At Darlington Raceway Results

1. Chase Elliott – Running
2. Ryan Preece – Running
3. Austin Cindric – Running
4. Brad Keselowski – Running
5. Austin Dillon – Running
6. Bubba Wallace – Running
7. Todd Gilliland – Running
8. Daniel Suárez – Running
9. Alex Bowman – Running
10. Ty Gibbs – Running
11. Harrison Burton – Running
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr – Running
13. Zane Smith – Running
14. Erik Jones – Running
15. John H. Nemechek – Running
16. Shane Van Gisbergen – Running
17. Justin Haley – Running
18. Michael McDowell – Running
19. Daniel Hemric – Running
20. William Byron – Accident
21. Josh Berry – Accident
22. Noah Gragson – Accident
23. Carson Hocevar – Accident
24. Kaz Grala – Running
25. Timmy Hill – Steering
26. Martin Truex Jr – Accident
27. Ryan Blaney – Accident