Kyle Busch sets his sights on $1,000,000 prize as NASCAR braces for All-Star race

NASCAR champion Kyle Busch will be one of 23 drivers set to compete for the $1 million cash prize at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday (May 18). Ahead of the All-Star Race, Busch expressed his thoughts on getting his hands on the biggest prize pool on the NASCAR schedule.

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, ranks among the sport’s most decorated drivers. The Nevada native has notched 232 wins across NASCAR’s top three divisions, including 63 in the Cup Series—ninth on the all-time list. In addition to his Cup success, Busch also holds numerous records in both the Xfinity and Truck Series, and has a victory in the 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race.

Ahead of the All-Star Race, Speedway Digest interviewed several Chevrolet drivers, where Busch shared his thoughts on racing at the 'really cool' 0.625-mile track.

"It’s cool that the All-Star Race is at North Wilkesboro Speedway again. It’s a really cool track. It has a lot of history to it. I hear that the elevator for victory lane is back and operational, so that would be really special to celebrate that way with your team. I love racing for $1 million all-out, short-track style, and there would be nothing cooler to bring that home."

Kyle Busch remains eligible to compete in the All-Star Race despite his ongoing winless streak, thanks to his two Cup Series championships. Additionally, the eligibility rules state that any former All-Star Race winner who is a full-time competitor qualifies for the event, a criterion that Busch also meets.

In 12 races this season, the 40-year-old #8 Chevy driver for Richard Childress Racing has secured 4 top-ten finishes and is currently P17 in the driver standings. Although the race on Sunday is not a points race, Busch would be looking to break his winless streak and start the next leg of the regular season with a triumph under his belt.

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Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin double down on NASCAR’s problematic fix

Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin recently shared the stage on the Actions Detrimental podcast, where they discussed a major issue with the Gen 7, better known as the NextGen car. Both Busch and Hamlin believe that the NextGen car's composite body has made it less durable, leading to a false notion of it being fine on the track.

"We all don't know how to freaking drive. It's the composite bodies. That's what it is. Everybody just runs into everybody and runs over everybody and hits everybody, hits the wall because we all just bank on the fact that the body's just going to pop back out and we're going to be fine," said Busch.

Kyle Busch had an unfortunate end to his race at Kansas Speedway after getting caught in the aftermath of contact between three drivers, as he went four-wide with them on the inside line. The incident essentially ended his race, leading to a P21 finish in what could have been a top-ten finish for Rowdy.