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Is Kurt Busch in Danger of Not Qualifying for the Cup Race at the Auto Club Speedway?

Published 02/26/2022, 10:48 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

This weekend is the WISE Power 400 at the Auto Club Speedway in California. However, ahead of the race, there is a spot of trouble for 23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch. This is because he does not have the points required, especially since he joined a new team with a new charter.

Bear in mind, 23XI Racing purchased a new charter in order to field a second car. In essence, his place on the grid is not guaranteed until he qualifies for the event. To make matters more complicated, there was technical trouble for the #45 driver. As it turned out, his car failed the tech inspection three times, but somehow passed on the fourth try.

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So the likely outcome is that he will have to start from the back of the pack. Admittedly, it will put him in a more vulnerable position in the pack, as he could be potentially caught up in wrecks. It is also worth mentioning that Bubba Wallace also got into trouble when his car failed inspection twice.

Kurt Busch was not the only one in trouble

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According to reports, the 2004 Cup Series champion was not the only one in hot water. Drivers like Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, and BJ McLeod were also hauled up. As a result, each of them lost a crew member and free choice of pit still selection.

via Getty

One thing is for sure, Kurt Busch will have it all to do on Sunday during the WISE Power 400. Considering that Bubba Wallace showed some good pace last weekend, Busch can power through the pack.

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NASCAR Pundit Makes a Bold Prediction About 23XI Racing Duo Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace

However, that can only happen if he is able to stay clean in the race and avoid wrecks, or even worse, cause them. Teammate Bubba Wallace will also be right up there to try and back him up. This is because the team’s target is both cars in the Playoffs.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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