Kyle Busch blames himself for not maintaining the 19-year winning streak

For the first time in 20 years, Kyle Busch failed to score a victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Since his rookie campaign in 2005, Busch had won at least one race every season—with a high of eight wins in both 2008 and 2018—at the highest level of the sport. His 19 consecutive seasons with a win became a historic record, one he had expected to extend into 2024. However, the unexpected drop in performance compared to his usual extraordinary standards led to his lowest figures in multiple categories, including top 5 finishes (5), top 10 finishes (10), and laps led (230), with his average finishing position of 18.3 marking his worst result since his rookie year (21.0 in 2005).

Simply put, Busch described the 2024 season—his second year driving the Chevrolet No. 8 for Richard Childress Racing—as “building character.”

A Frustrating Season

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Busch said during the Championship Week in Phoenix. “It’s not at all what we were hoping for after having some success last year, especially early in the season with three wins, then struggling a bit, but this year it seemed like we just couldn’t shake the burden. I mean, we even had chances to win at the end of the day, near Daytona, and even closer in Kansas, but we just couldn’t get there.”

Busch noted that despite opportunities slipping away, it was clear they had chances to win. “We probably had some opportunities that slipped through our fingers. So, I can’t say we shouldn’t have won this year or that we never had the chance, but clearly, we didn’t get it done.”

A Career of Changes

The past two years have brought significant changes for Busch. Now 39 years old, he began his career with three years at Hendrick Motorsports before partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing for 15 years. His success during those 18 seasons was impressive, with 60 wins and two NASCAR Cup Series championships.

However, his tenure with JGR came to an end after the 2022 season, leading to a new chapter with Richard Childress Racing. Despite the disappointing end to his win streak, Busch now views the end of this record through a different lens.

“I’d rather—if I ran another six or seven years—it lasted 25, 26 years, and just made a mark that could never be matched, right?” Busch said. “But unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Things changed for me a few years ago, and I’m thankful that I could stretch that streak last year and make it my own. But honestly, for someone at 17 (years old), or 18, and now 19 years old, it’s tough to have so many good years in a row. It’s difficult.”

Looking Ahead: Optimism for 2025

Busch remains hopeful for continued success throughout his career, aiming for sustained performance moving into 2025. Team leader Randall Burnett will return to lead the No. 8 team, but RCR has already made leadership changes in the hopes of improving performance in the coming season.

Veteran crew chief and competition director Keith Rodden has been appointed as Vice President of Competition for the team, while former Stewart-Haas Racing leaders John Klausmeier and Richard Boswell have joined the team. Klausmeier will serve as the Technical Director for RCR, while Boswell will become the new crew chief for the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon.

Despite Busch’s results falling short of expectations in 2024, there remains optimism that the win streak will resume in 2025. With the changes made to the team, there’s confidence that Busch will return to the top in the near future.