In four weeks, Daytona Speedweeks will see its first racing with the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. That means the Cup Series is 27Â Days to Daytona for Daytona 500 qualifying. The next team up for a preview is the #8 Richard Childress Racing entry. 2024 will mark the second year of the Kyle Busch era. After finding moderate success last season, where can this team improve this year?
#8 Richard Childress Racing
Driver: Kyle Busch
Crew Chief: Randall Burnett
Sponsors: BetMGM, Lucas Oil, 3CHI, Rebel Bourbon, Global Industrial, Cheddars
2024 Season Preview
700 Starts
Barring any unforeseeable event, Kyle Busch will hit 700 starts in his NASCAR career. Busch will become the twentieth driver to accomplish this feat. If Busch makes every start this season, he will hit 700 starts with the return of the Brickyard 400. NASCAR should be wise to make an event out of Busch’s history. As one of NASCAR’s most well-known drivers, returning from the Olympic layoff with a special attraction of Busch’s 700th start would help bring eyeballs to NBC.
DNF Carryover
In 3 of the past 4 seasons, Kyle Busch has 6 or more DNFs. Last season, the DNFs were a big reason why his season only was a moderate success. New Hampshire, Michigan, and Texas were all second half DNFs that spoiled Busch’s strong first half. Richard Childress Racing as a whole had a DNF issue with 16 combined DNFs between their two fulltime drivers. If Kyle Busch wants to be a contender for his third championship, he will need to keep the 8 car on track.
Add to the Record
Kyle Busch has never went a fulltime season without a win. Since his rookie year in 2005, Busch has collected at least one victory each season. Busch broke Richard Petty’s record last season by notching his 19th straight season with a win. If Busch can win again in 2024, he would hit the 20 mark and extend his record. Based on what the 8 team showed in 2023, there is little reason to believe that Busch will fail to win. The question is whether Busch will go his entire career with the streak alive.
Chasing 70
Entering 2024, Kyle Busch has 63 wins. With 7 more wins, Busch will join the exclusive 70-win club. Only 8 drivers have surpassed the 70-win mark. Currently, Busch looks to be the only driver with a strong chance of accomplishing it. Now, should anyone expect Busch to hit 70 this season? No. While it is not impossible for Busch to rattle off a 7-win season, it seems unlikely. However, Busch can certainly set himself up nicely to hit 70 wins in 2025.
Daytona 500 Chances
One of the few things that Kyle Busch has not accomplished in his NASCAR career is winning the Daytona 500. Busch has won the summer race before, but he is still missing the Harley J Earl trophy on his mantle. While Busch is notorious for his hatred of pack racing, he has shown great talent at it. Last season, Busch was the leader on the second to last restart before the chaos broke out.
Speedweeks Outlook
Last year, Kyle Busch qualified tenth. While he is in a Chevy, it would be surprising to see Busch qualify on the front row. Busch usually goes after the duel win, so expect him running up front on that Thursday night. As long as he is not wrecked from behind, Busch will likely start the Daytona 500 in a quality position. The big question for Busch when it comes to the Daytona 500 is whether he can avoid trouble. Linking up with his teammate last year worked until they spilt the front row on a late restart. If they can link up again late, Busch could hoist his first Harley J Earl trophy.
Previous Days
40-36 Days: 40 – #12, 39 – #5, 38 – #24, 37 – #20, & 36 – #11
I am excited to see Kyle do well this year. I think it will get the fans in gear for a better year.