“It’s going to be payback central,” warned Kyle Busch ahead of the All-Star Race. Even though revenge might not be a part of the exhibition race’s updated rulebook, it’s clear that ‘Rowdy’ is past caring at this point. The Richard Childress Racing driver has some old scores to settle at North Wilkesboro Speedway, having been a part of a full-fledged brawl against Ricky Stenhouse Jr. last year. Could the 40-year-old be channeling his inner ‘bad boy’ at the short track once again?

It certainly seems like it. While some names on Busch’s hit list are quite predictable, ‘Rowdy’ aimed a sly dig at Kyle Larson, which took everybody by surprise. Is there some underlying tension between the two drivers? Or is ‘Yung Money’ simply the racer to watch out for at the 0.625-mile track?

Kyle Busch issues a warning ahead of the All-Star Race

Kyle Busch is done playing nice. The Nevada native is desperate to get back into Victory Lane and finally end his 69-race winless streak. Even though the All-Star Race might not have points on the line, getting that monkey off his back will give the 40-year-old some much-needed confidence to hopefully make the playoffs this year. Finishing fourth in Heat Race 2 and qualifying in eighth place is a good start, one that he’ll hope to build on at the 250-lap event.

Speaking to FOX’s Bob Pockrass, Kyle Busch made a tongue-in-cheek comment about the promoter’s caution. As per the new rule, Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith can call one caution at any point before Lap 220, but only if a natural caution doesn’t take place after Lap 200. On that note, the Richard Childress Racing driver jokingly said, “Do we want to put money on if I create a natural caution or I let Marcus throw a caution? It depends on how far out Kyle Larson is leading the race.” That’s some strong words from the racer, especially regarding a driver with whom he doesn’t have any known ‘beef’.

But Busch aiming at Larson makes sense in some ways. ‘Yung Money’ has already won three races this year, and the 2023 All-Star champ is the one to watch out for at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Getting him out of action will mean a serious threat is eliminated from the exhibition race, even though ‘Rowdy’ isn’t exactly planning to follow through with his words. Or is he? The Nevada native is trying to prove a point about how ‘gimmicky’ the promoter’s caution is, having previously said, “If we’re Bailey and Barnum [the circus], then let’s just freaking call it Bailey and Barnum. I mean, they went out of business.”

Earlier this week, the 40-year-old told Denny Hamlin on the Actions Detrimental podcast, “On Lap 200, we all need to figure out who we’re gonna run into.” He went on to say, “If I’m running 12th and I’ve got no shot to win… I am going to take care of Marcus’ yellow.” Apart from Stenhouse Jr., many felt that the warning may have been directed towards Brad Keselowski as well. After all, the two racers have an age-old rivalry spanning over a decade, and recent incidents at Texas and Talladega haven’t eased the tension. Regardless of his wrecking antics, Busch will be hoping to get his season back on track at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

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Busch has his eyes on the prize

Kyle Busch is desperate for that winning feeling again. The last time he entered Victory Lane was back in 2023 at the World Wide Technology Raceway, which highlights his struggles at Richard Childress Racing during the Next-Gen era. Even though he has come agonizingly close to breaking his streak on several occasions, such as finishing runner-up at Darlington and Daytona consecutively last year, Lady Luck has simply not been on his side.

However, even though results have been hard to come by recently, Busch is remaining positive ahead of the exhibition race. Sharing his expectations, ‘Rowdy’ said, “It’s cool that the All-Star Race is at North Wilkesboro Speedway again. It’s a really cool track. It has a lot of history to it. I hear that the elevator for victory lane is back and operational, so that would be really special to celebrate that way with your team. I love racing for $1 million all-out, short-track style, and there would be nothing cooler to bring that home.”

The clock is ticking for Kyle Busch. His contract with Richard Childress Racing is due to expire at the end of 2025, which means a potential transfer to another team may be on the cards. However, despite all that he has achieved in the sport, the Nevada native also needs to prove that he has what it takes to compete against NASCAR’s heavyweights. And that means getting results when it matters. Could he go on to win the All-Star Race and change the narrative that surrounds him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!