NASCAR: Kyle Busch at risk of Jimmie Johnson-like trajectory?

As a long-time NASCAR fan with decades of racing history etched into my memory banks, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia mixed with a dash of concern as I watch Kyle Busch struggle through the 2024 season. The “Wild Thing” has been anything but wild this year, and it’s reminiscent of another multi-time champion whose star seemed to fade – Jimmie Johnson.

As a dedicated NASCAR fan, it’s been quite unexpected that “The Wild Thing,” Kyle Busch, hasn’t lived up to his nickname this 2024 Cup Series season. Following an impressive three-win campaign with Richard Childress Racing in his rookie year, I can’t help but notice that he’s yet to claim victory this time around.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, the racer aged 39 achieved a pole position during this season at Dover Motor Speedway. However, for the first time since 2012, he failed to qualify for the playoffs, and currently ranks 20th in the overall point standings.

This poor performance represents a significant decline from past achievements for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. If he fails to secure a victory this season, it will conclude an impressive 19-year streak that surpassed Richard Petty’s longstanding record last year. Given that Busch has consistently earned at least one Cup Series win each year since his full-time debut in 2005, his recent performance is among the weakest of his professional career.

Despite clinching two Truck Series wins this year, the veteran’s struggles in the Cup Series remain apparent, even to him. This was evident when he failed to secure victory at Darlington Raceway during the Southern 500, a race he ultimately finished second to Chase Briscoe from Stewart-Haas Racing. In reflecting on his performance, he humorously referred to himself as a “tired old dog”.

As a long-term racer in NASCAR, I’ve noticed that even seasoned champions like myself can sometimes struggle to maintain top performance. For instance, who could forget about the legendary Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion, who experienced a significant drop in his game? It’s a reminder that even the best of us can face challenges on the track.

Is Kyle Busch becoming the next Jimmie Johnson?

As we approach the final eight events of the 2024 calendar, it remains uncertain whether Busch’s impressive 19-year winning streak will continue this season. However, his performance mirrors that of the racer hailing from El Cajon, California.

Reflecting on a remarkable three-victory season that stretched my win streak to an astoundishing 15 years, the year 2018 marked the first time I didn’t secure a win, yet I still qualified for the playoffs. Mirroring Busch’s situation in 2024, I unfortunately missed out on competing in 2019 and 2020 before deciding to step down from full-time racing.

In the years 2019 and 2020, Johnson ended up in 18th position in the points standings. Occasionally, he managed to secure top five finishes, which fueled optimism among fans of the No. 48 team. However, his inconsistency prevented him from qualifying for the playoffs.

If not for a presumed false-positive COVID-19 test result in 2020, he would have met the qualification criteria. However, his test results prevented him from progressing much further.

The primary distinction between Johnson and Busch lies in the turning point of their misfortunes. While some continue to debate potential strife between Busch and Richard Childress Racing, Johnson’s decline is generally attributed to a severe crash at Pocono Raceway in June 2017, just a week after his last victory at Dover marked as his final one to date.

It might appear too soon to definitively dismiss Busch or declare his career finished, but given past experiences, some fans recognize a pattern that suggests his journey could end up like others we’ve witnessed.

2024-09-18 16:02