WATCH: Kyle Busch Fights Hard but Loses out on Victory in Thrilling Finish in an Online Race

Published 01/06/2021, 1:42 AM EST

During the NASCAR offseason, many drivers relax for a while and get some downtime. After some much-needed rest and recuperation, it is back to the grind to prepare for the new season. While some drivers head to other racing series for practice, others hit the simulator. Kyle Busch was one of the simulator drivers, as he often takes part in online races.

At a Monday Night Racing event, Will Rodgers managed to stave off a stiff challenge from Busch and win. To make matters worse for Busch, he didn’t even end up in the top three, finishing fourth fastest. Ryan Vargas and James Davison took the second and third place spots to complete the podium.

FINAL LAPS: @willrodgers65 holds off @KyleBusch and @JD33Davison in a wild finish to Monday night’s #K1Speed200k at @wgi.@tufcoflooring | @PodiumeSports pic.twitter.com/pG8YHhEXTa
— Monday Night Racing (@MonNightRacing) January 5, 2021

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On the bright side, Kyle Busch did manage to defeat the likes of Josh Bilicki and Garrett Smithley. Those two drivers managed to finish fifth and eighth respectively. It is also worth noting that Busch will not be too torn up about the loss. This is because he has bigger fish to fry, namely the Cup Series championship in 2021.

Kyle Busch is eager to redeem himself after a disappointing 2020

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When he clinched the title in 2019, many expected him to be in the running in the following season. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas, and he failed to register a win until the Texas Motor Speedway Playoff race. Of course, by the time he finally opened his win account, he had already been eliminated from contention.

Now, the driver will be hoping for a change of fortune in the 2021 Cup Series season. Hopefully, for his sake, he is able to get a few wins under his belt and challenge for the title. Kyle Busch will be keen to channel all that experience and ‘Rowdy’ energy into the new campaign.

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However, he knows that the campaign will be tough and there are plenty of challengers. The likes of Chase Elliott will also be keen to defend his crown as fiercely as possible. Not to mention inform drivers like Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, and the returning Kyle Larson.

Can the Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin-Led Joe Gibbs Racing Reach 200 NASCAR Cup Wins in 2021?

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Written by:

Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.