Kyle Busch doesn’t hold back in a straightforward admission on the ‘pressure’ of racing in his hometown

Kyle Busch, the two-time NASCAR Cup champion, still feels the weight of performing in his hometown of Las Vegas, even 21 years into the sport. As NASCAR heads into the upcoming race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Richard Childress driver discussed the mental pressure the track presents.

The last time Kyle Busch secured a victory in Las Vegas was 16 years ago in 2009, five years after his first win in the sport. Starting from pole, the then Joe Gibbs driver, lost position to a pitstop issue. However, he ultimately made his way through the field to bag his first victory on home turf.

Ever since then, Busch has been unable to secure another victory, despite many top 3 finishes. His history at the track in the next gen era reads at an average finish of 10.5, with 4.2% laps led.

Speaking ahead of the race weekend, Busch shared his thoughts,

"Yeah, Vegas always means a little bit more pressure - more pressure on myself - just because it's the home town and you can to win there. Thankfully, I have won there and i've knocked that one off the list, but certainly you want to win there every year," he said. (Via Speedway Digest)

Kyle Busch currently ranks eighth in the standings with 110 points after three top 10 finishes. The #8 driver earlier led 42 laps at the Circuit of the Americas before being overtaken by Christopher Bell and ending up in fifth place. With Bell eyeing his Fourth consecutive win at Las Vegas, Busch looks to end his winless streak at his home track.

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Kyle Busch optimistic team can be top contenders

In 2024, Kyle Busch exprienced the first ever win-less season of his career, finishing 20th in the standings after five top-give and ten top-10 finishes. Meanwhile, his RCR teamate Austin Dillon's sole win at Richmond Raceway did not secure him a playoff spot. This was due to a penalty by NASCAR for his last lap collisions, which also resulted in his crew chief being suspended for three races.

Following the dissapointing season, RCR appointed a new techincal director, John Klasusmeir, who'd previously helped Stewart-Haas Racing bag multiple Cup series victories. A new crew-chief was also appointed for Austin Dillon's #3 Chevrolet. Since then, the team has shown strong performances in the current season with Busch securing multiple top-10 finishes.

Reflecting on the same, Kyle Busch said,

"I would say the step we made from last year to this year was a really good step. With another major step like that, we can be a contender for racing for the win."(Via Speedway Digest)

Kyle Busch heads into Las Vegas ranked eigth in the points standing while Austin Dillon trails behind at twenty fifth, with 66 points. RCR has an average finish of 15.7 at Vegas, after 12 races since 2022.