In his 20th NASCAR season, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch faces mounting skepticism about his ability to reclaim his former dominance. After a challenging 2024 season—his first winless year since his 2005 debut—industry insiders are questioning whether the veteran driver can rebound.
Busch’s 2024 season with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) was marked by an average finish of 18.3, the lowest of his career. This downturn has led analysts like Kyle Petty to express doubts about Busch’s prospects for the 2025 season. During a recent Performance Racing Network roundtable, Petty commented, “Black flag, I’m sorry. I don’t think so, but then again, I’ve been wrong before.”
Despite these concerns, Busch has shown flashes of competitiveness in early 2025. After a 34th-place finish at the Daytona 500 due to a late-race wreck, he secured a seventh-place finish at Atlanta. At the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Busch led a race-high 42 laps before finishing fifth, demonstrating resilience against younger competitors.
However, this performance has not entirely silenced critics. Some argue that while Busch remains competitive, the younger generation of drivers is beginning to overshadow him. His near-miss at COTA, where he was overtaken by Christopher Bell, nine years his junior, underscores this shift.
As the 2025 season progresses, Busch’s ability to adapt and compete with emerging talents will be closely watched. While his early performances offer hope, the question remains whether he can translate these into consistent success and defy the skeptics in his milestone 20th year.
