Kyle Busch attempted to secure a win at Darlington Raceway during the NASCAR Cup Series race, the Southern 500. Despite a strong effort, Busch finished in second place behind Chase Briscoe, marking his second consecutive runner-up finish and fifth top-five of the season.
Busch’s performance at Darlington was characterized by a late-race surge, facilitated by a tire advantage after pitting during a wave of late cautions. With an average running position of 14th throughout the race, the decision to change tires in the final laps appeared promising.
“When I made it through a few of those guys on the start, I thought we’d have a shot to get there,” Busch admitted, via Racer.com. He went on to explain his inability to close the gap, revealing the issue that plagued his later race:
“I really didn’t have enough to power through that to get closer; I was kind of sliding already.”
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 31, 2024 in Darlington, South Carolina. Kyle Busch reveals issues with tire wear and handling in playoff attack that hindered victory hopes at Darlington Raceway.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Unfortunately for Busch, issues with tire wear and handling hindered his pursuit of victory. Adding to the disappointment was Busch’s reflection on the outcome:
“I hate it for our guys and everybody on our team, everybody at RCR.”
The 2024 season has been a rollercoaster for Busch, with a rocky start and several near-victories slipping away. He missed the NASCAR Cup Series postseason following a difficult first half of the season, which included only three top-10 finishes in the first 10 races and five DNFs in seven races during the summer.
However, the final five races of the regular season saw a noticeable turnaround. Busch secured four finishes of 12th or better, including three consecutive top-four finishes and led 37 laps across these races. This late improvement offered a glimpse of hope.
The exasperation wasn’t without acknowledgment of progress. Reflecting on his team’s performance, Busch praised their recent efforts:
“They’ve turned it around the last four or five weeks and we’ve run a lot better, and that’s been much improved and beneficial to our team and organization.”
He continued:
“We just missed a lot in the early part of the year and through the middle part of the year to put ourselves in this spot to be outside looking in.”
As Busch continues to seek solace and redemption, he remains hopeful for a win before the season concludes, maintaining his streak of victories in 20 consecutive seasons.
“We just came up short. Maybe I am a washed-up old dog, but hopefully, I can find a few more trophies.
“We’ll take it and keep building on it,” he asserted.
NASCAR Cup Series: Cook Out Southern 500 At Darlington Raceway Results
- Chase Elliott – Running
- Ryan Preece – Running
- Austin Cindric – Running
- Brad Keselowski – Running
- Austin Dillon – Running
- Bubba Wallace – Running
- Todd Gilliland – Running
- Daniel Suárez – Running
- Alex Bowman – Running
- Ty Gibbs – Running
- Harrison Burton – Running
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr – Running
- Zane Smith – Running
- Erik Jones – Running
- John H. Nemechek – Running
- Shane Van Gisbergen – Running
- Justin Haley – Running
- Michael McDowell – Running
- Daniel Hemric – Running
- William Byron – Accident
- Josh Berry – Accident
- Noah Gragson – Accident
- Carson Hocevar – Accident
- Kaz Grala – Running
- Timmy Hill – Steering
- Martin Truex Jr – Accident
- Ryan Blaney – Accident
