Richard Childress Racing is still looking to rise from the ashes and regain its lost glory in NASCAR. It’s been over three decades now since they’ve won the Cup Series Championship, and it has been not short of a fall from grace for RCR; rather, it has been a struggle, to say the least. However, with the signing of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, they seem to be positioning themselves better in the hunt for title contention this season.

With three wins in his first season with RCR, Rowdy did refuel the winning spark that was seemingly lost from the team. Despite a valiant effort and playoff feature, the No. 8 team had to be content with #14 in the overall points standings. Starting off the 2024 campaign, again, all eyes were on Busch and his chase for his first-ever Daytona 500, a dream that still lives on. However, a P12 finish does not paint the entire story of Busch’s efforts at Daytona International Speedway. In fact, he was one of the standout performers at the race and had a rather unfortunate evening.

Busch’s heroics, despite a lost tire, until the big one at Daytona

Starting off the race, Busch had to avoid an early crash and make his way up to the leading pack. During the first stage, the No. 8 from RCR was cautious in its approach and threaded into the top twenty positions. Coming to the end of stage one, Busch ramped up his efforts and made a jump to the top-10 position, where he was contesting the top spot with Chase Elliot as the leading pack pitted for refueling.

With 2 laps to go for stage one, Busch took the lead, but the HMS pack of Elliot, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman snatched the lead from him. Continuing on his momentum, RCR No. 8 once again was in the thick of the action in stage 2, leading the grid with 19 laps to go, and so far the promise and hype were very much alive for him to get his Daytona 500 win. He finished 4th at the end of stage two, thus racking up some stage points.

Busch was focused on his task and let nothing affect him; even a loose tire at the start of stage 3 was not going to halt his relentless pursuit. He was seen on his ‘A’ game and got back into the winning positions soon after the tire debacle. However, with the finish line coming close, taking note of the rising tension on the track, he pulled away and avoided the big one.

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Sadly, after the crash, Kyle Busch could not get back in his groove, and ultimately, the pit crew mishaps took their toll on his final results of the race.

The RCR pit crew debacle in Daytona

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Time and again, it has been said that NASCAR Cup racing is a team effort, with the pit crew considered a vital unit. A pit stop can make or break the driver’s race, and unfortunately for Busch, it was the latter one. Just after the end of the first stage at Daytona, the former JGR driver took to the pit, and as he came back on the track, he was directed to start right from the back by the officials. He was penalized after a pit crew member stumbled across the safety line.

That was not it; just after the end of stage two, his left front tire was loose. One of the pit crew members did not bolt the lug tight enough. Additionally, repetitive mistakes at the pit road certainly cost Kyle Busch his precious time, which made Richard Childress give the pit crew member an earful on the radio, “You two guys, get your heads out of your a*s. No more f**king up.”

Driving a backup car, and racing his heart out against all the odds, Kyle Busch certainly gave the RCR team a taste of what is to come for the rest of the season. A fighting spirit that was lost at the RCR camp has been reignited by Rowdy.

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