Shane van Gisbergen turned up at NASCAR in 2023 with a dream to race stock cars. Little did he know that he would change the way the sport looks at road course racing. From inexplicably dominating every time he has to turn right, SVG has picked up 3 road course wins in a row this season, and with an eye on the playoffs, the preparations have been well underway. However, the Trackhouse Racing #88 had some not-so-kind words for a driver who might miss the playoffs for a second year running.

40-year-old Kyle Busch is enduring the worst winless streak of his career, over 75 races, and his chance at a playoff spot is looking bleak. However, that doesn’t stop Kyle from going out and trying to win races outside of Sundays. Busch finds success racing Legend cars, but SVG thinks that he might be ducking the smoke coming from himself, Bubba Wallace, and Scott McLaughlin.

Shane van Gisbergen is not afraid to poke Rowdy

Charlotte Motor Speedway comes alive with the Legends Summer Shootout each summer. It is a coveted event that brings stars together in a rough-and-tumble proving ground. With tightly packed fields and scorching mid-June heat, the shootout has long been a stage for superstar comebacks and new rivalries. For Kyle Busch, a series veteran, it’s been his playground. However, SVG couldn’t help but take a dig at the fact that Busch isn’t running on the same level as him.

During his SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance, SVG aimed Busch’s class choice without missing a beat. Shane van Gisbergen said, “Kyle’s a bit old and scared, he races in the Masters class. He doesn’t race with us. That would have been fun.” Well, it’s clear that SVG is not shy of taking a dig or two at Rowdy, and given that the veteran has mellowed down, we’re sure he would take this in good stride, after all, SVG is hanging out with his son at the track too. When asked about Brexton Busch’s participation in Legend Car events, SVG said, “He’s in the younger classes, though. He’s still a bit young.” Brexton takes part in the Young Lions division, for kids aged 10-16, while Kyle Busch takes part in the division for drivers aged 40 and over, a milestone he just crossed last May.

However, this dig at Kyle Busch comes after the veteran has racked up tons of success in Legend cars this summer. Strapping in at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch quickly proved he’s a class above the rest in his division, picking up 5 wins in the Masters category. Kyle also wasn’t unaware of the fact that he might be punching below his weight in this class, as he told FloRacing, “It’s changed a little bit, that’s for sure, and so coming out here, racing in the Masters class, I mean, I’m old, I might be the youngest master, but hey, I’m eligible, so might as well go do it.”

Well, for Rowdy, success outside NASCAR is more valuable than ever before. With his playoff hopes dwindling each passing week, getting some solid, winning time behind the wheel could be the confidence booster he needs. His recent results, 5th at Chicago and 10th at Sonoma, give Rowdy Nation hope, but he’s gonna need a lot more of where that came from to make a solid playoff push.

Kyle Busch’s playoff hopes

Shane van Gisbergen is firing on all cylinders. Following his dominant road-course sweep. This includes the recent Sonoma win. You can’t question his postseason ticket. SVG has collected three Cup Series wins this season (Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma). This is a feat unmatched since Jeff Gordon did it from the pole in 2000. Already locked into the playoffs, SVG sits around third in provisional seeding, but the same can’t be said for Kyle Busch.

The Richard Childress Racing #8 needs one of the remaining six races or a string of miraculous top finishes to break into the Top 16. He is currently fighting to stay relevant with a winless streak exceeding 75 races and is currently 37 points below the playoff threshold. Champions like Kevin Harvick have weighed in skeptically, saying Busch is “too inconsistent,” and suggesting Daytona may be his only viable path. With superspeedway racing being more of a wildcard than ever before, Busch might stand a chance. He was as high as third at the Daytona 500 before being involved in an incident with Joey Logano that ended his race.

However, if Busch makes the playoffs, the garage has reason to fear. Rowdy has missed that winning feeling for over a year now, and getting it back after such a long wait would only motivate him tenfold. And if anyone knows Kyle Busch’s history, he has a knack for feeding the hot hand. In 2015, he won 4 races in 5 starts after missing half the season because of a broken leg!

He then went on to finish outside the top 10 only thrice during the entire playoffs, en route to his first Cup Series championship with Joe Gibbs Racing. Yes, that was 10 years ago, but that’s the hope Rowdy fans can cling to if Kyle Busch does make the playoffs this year. Do you think Kyle Busch can turn it around in 2025? Let us know in the comments!