It has been a difficult 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season for Kyle Busch. The two-time Cup Series champion is winless this season and didn't qualify for the Playoffs, but one of NASCAR's winningest drivers is optimistic going into this Sunday's race Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Talking with Newsweek in an interview for the Straight Talk Wireless Family Dynasty Plan, Busch reflected on his season.
"We've had a lot of ups and downs this year," Busch said" "We've been really close. Just a couple weeks ago we were leading the race coming into the later stages and I messed up but it was a mile and a half racetrack. Homestead-Miami is another mile-and-a-half racetrack, so hopefully the car set up and everything will work really well down there this weekend.
"We've run well there. I've won the there. It's been a great track for me. I've won two championships by winning races there, so I would love to get that win here this year to continue my streak of 20 straight years of winning a race in NASCAR Cup Series."
Busch's legacy and Cup Series record of wins in 19 consecutive seasons is on the line with three races remaining this season. Last season Busch took the record away from Richard Petty and is now looking to stretch the feat to its 20th season for personal reasons and his racing legacy.
"It's a personal goal for sure," Busch said. "I mean I kind of set that out last year. I was able to top Richard Petty, so Richard Petty had the record at 18 years last year. I got it at 19 to hold it on my own and I want to of course stretch that out as far as I can. If I'm racing into 26 or 27 years, man, I want to make that thing all the way through to prove that I've been a winner the whole time."
Busch currently sits in 20th place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, with five Top 5 and ten Top 10 finishes this season. For a former series champion it has been one of the most difficult seasons of his future hall-of-fame career, but from this trying year are lessons that can help the 2025 campaign.
"It definitely hasn't been a successful season, no," Busch said. "I think this has definitely been one of my most trying years and being able to put all of the things that we've learned this year. There's been a lot of that and we definitely want to come back stronger next year and carry ourselves into the Daytona 500 and try to win that one. Haven't won that race. So that'll be the kickoff to our next year.
"We have been running better lately. We're also looking to try to improve on some of the staff back of the shop men and women back of the shop that are building the cars. There's some really good people that are out there for hire with another competitive team that's closing down at the end of the season. So you try to get some of those hires as well."
Playing the role of Playoff spoiler in the final three races of 2024 holds some appeal to the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion. With two previous wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway, this weekend could be a great opportunity for Busch to secure a win and continue his streak to 20 straight seasons with a race win.
"It (Homestead-Miami) would be a great chance for us to see ourselves Victory Lane and celebrate that race, celebrate that win," Busch said. "So I feel like this is a really good shot for us. Of course we also have Martinsville and Phoenix coming up too. There'd be nothing greater than going into Phoenix and winning that race and sort of spoiling the championship race, if you will."
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