Yet again, Kyle Busch came so close only to see a race win slip through his fingers. Rowdy has not won since early last season but has come close on several occasions. Despite not winning the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, the #8 team is keeping Richard Childress at the top of the Owner Points table. They are in good form and have been consistent so far this season, but now, a race win would be the icing on the cake in the early part of the 2024 season.

The Cup Series race at Atlanta recently saw one of the most exciting finishes in the competition as a three-way photo finish saw the Trackhouse Racing star Daniel Suarez take the checkered flag and book his spot in the playoffs. The fight was among him, Busch, and reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney and it had fans on the edge of their seats.

Kyle Busch is P1 after Atlanta as far as Richard Childress is concerned

While the Mexican-born racer basked in all his glory and took the spotlight, his team was not on top in terms of owner points. That is where the #8 of Kyle Busch beat him out. NASCAR is a funny sport as race winners are not always the ones who score the most points for their teams. Rowdy has not won a race so far this year. He has not even led a stage, yet it is he who has scored the most owner points.

He’s just a single point ahead of the #24 team of William Byron, who won the Daytona 500 last week. The owner points are crucial for the teams since NASCAR pays the teams based on where they are at the end of the year on that table. So being on top is quite significant despite it not getting as much attention as the driver’s championship.

Rowdy finished P3 after Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney, separated by the finest of margins. The NASCAR veteran had a lot of confidence going into the event after he had won the Truck Series race earlier this week with Spire Motorsports at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It would have been a great story had the driver of the #8 got the job done in the Cup Series as well.

Regardless, P3 is a great result for anyone and it just shows how good the team is performing at the moment. With a podium finish at the Clash, P12 at Daytona, and third in Atlanta, it hasn’t been a bad start to the year for the team at all, but Busch would still like to win some.

2024 Ambetter 400: Daniel Suarez Locks in Career Second Playoff Spot at Atlanta as Kyle Busch Goes Winless Again

Moment of rare misjudgment might have cost Rowdy the race win

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Speaking to the media after the race, Kyle Busch said that he could not have done anything differently. He said it was a misjudgment on his part to think that the outside lane would not be able to keep up when Daniel Suarez drifted there. By the time he realized his error, it was too late to stop the Trackhouse Racing car from taking the checkered flag.

“On that last restart, I just got a little too far ahead of the No. 99 car and he got a good side draft through the corner. I didn’t think the outside would prevail, but with the run down the front stretch and the side draft, that is what hurt us. Typically, whoever is behind getting into Turn 3 prevails at the start-finish line with the side draft and everything. I think I was running in second place to the No. 12 car at that point, and the No. 99 car was the furthest back. He used the side draft to make the ground back up and win the race. There was nothing I could have done differently,” he said as per NASCAR.

Busch will be looking to get that first win of the season early and book his place in the last 16 as it builds up a lot of pressure later on in the regular season. Will the driver of the #8 be able to do it at the next event? Let us know your thoughts.

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