Reigning Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch Admits He Is ‘Behind the Eight Ball’ Heading Into the Playoffs

Not often do we see a defending champion in NASCAR having no expectations and ‘playing behind the eight ball’ before the start of the playoffs. NASCAR Cup Series championship winner from 2019, Kyle Busch, believes he is way behind the title contenders this season with the playoffs just around the corner. The reigning champion is yet to win a race this season.

Kyle Busch has gone 25 races without a win this season, the longest winless streak so far in his career. He goes into the final race of the regular season at Daytona International Speedway with a last chance to right the wrongs of this season. It will also earn him the much-needed impetus heading into the playoffs.

Busch’s mindset before the playoffs

However, Kyle Busch believes that the expectations of winning weigh him down. He prefers tackling the situation as and when it comes to him. “I have no expectations. Just take every event as it comes to us, every opportunity that comes to us, try to do what we can do. There’s really no expectations. It’s just a matter of being really, really far behind,” Busch said in an interview.

“We’re going to start every single one of these playoff scenarios behind the eight ball, basically on the outside looking in. We’re going to have to do everything right,” he added.

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Kyle Busch wants to do what Tony Stewart did

While he believes he is well behind the others this year and wants to play the waiting game, Busch expressed that he would like to do what Tony Stewart did in 2011. Stewart failed to win a single race in the regular season that year. He then won five races in the playoffs and thus the championship.

“In a perfect world you win races in each of those rounds to push you all the way through to the final round, you’re good at Phoenix,” Busch added. “That’s kind of the name of the game. If we can Tony Stewart it, hopefully, that will be what we can do,” he added further.

He admitted though, that not being able to win races has frustrated him. “Earlier this year (we had) plenty of top-fives, top-10s, none of them wins. That’s where the frustration sets in, not getting the wins,” Busch said.

He also cherished the prospect of yet another race at Daytona and aims for that elusive win.