Do you know what is worse than having a bad season and not making it to the finale? Making it to the Championship 4 and then missing out on lifting the Cup trophy by six-tenths of a second. However, what is sadder is that the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Kyle Busch, has lived through both these scenarios. For him, there can probably be a comparison between 2017 and 2023. And the vigor with which he talks about the 6-year-old campaign, it seems he is still not over it.

On his recent appearance on the ‘Mics Are Hot’ podcast alongside Kaitlyn and Heather, Busch had a major revelation for his fans. He spilled the beans, hinting at what could have been, as he revealed what hindered his plan of becoming a “three or four” time Cup championship by now.

Kyle Busch’s Homestead hindsight: almost a Championship, but not quite

2017 marked a heart-stopping season finale at Homestead Miami. A mere 0.681 seconds separated the crowned champion, Martin Truex Jr, and runner-up Kyle Busch. In the post-race aftermath, Busch couldn’t help but lament, saying, “I definitely feel as though we matched them at Homestead.”

“You know, I’d say that we were actually a little bit better than they were at Homestead, and that’s what makes Homestead so painful,” Fast forward five years, and it seems that the sting of that close call still lingers for Busch having lost to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

In a recent Racing America podcast episode, he admitted, “I’m definitely proud of it [2 championships]. Certainly, there were some opportunities that were there that were missed. 2017, I look at that one. We had Truex beat in that race. The 78 car was the dominant car that year.”

“They [MTJ] deserved to win the championship that year, but we, the 18, had them beat in that race but didn’t come to fruition. But, you know, we could be talking three or four, but, you know, it is what it is. So having two, I’ll love that and cherish that for the remainder of my career. Hopefully, I can get more.”

As the curtain has fallen on the 2023 season, Busch is gearing up to tackle it head-on, fueled by the lessons he learned from this past campaign. Success, it seems, is the burning question in his narrative.

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We heard Kyle Busch getting candid about his 2017 loss. And frankly, we can’t help but empathize with him. However, every coin has two sides. And you’d be taken aback after hearing the statement Truex gave after lifting his maiden championship.

“Just a dream season. I was going to be gutted if we didn’t win,” Truex said, as per the Los Angeles Times. “We gave it our all, and it was enough tonight.”

He also recalled, “There was a night where I sat on the porch and thought there was a chance I may never race in the Cup Series again, at least competitively.”

During the later stages of the season, the then-Furniture Row Racing driver also figured there weren’t a lot of sponsorships or racing seats waiting for him for next year, making the championship run even more vital. Thankfully, all this adversity fueled Truex to keep his head down, sign a new deal, and also win the ultimate prize in NASCAR.

Now, knowing the whole picture, if you could go back to the stands of Homestead Miami back on November 19, 2017, who would you root for? The #78 of Truex? or the #18 of Busch?

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