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Kyle Busch has crashed his No. 8 Chevrolet during the practice race for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Following an emphatic Truck triumph, Kyle Busch's NASCAR weekend in Texas has hit a major roadblock. The Richard Childress Racing driver suffered a big crash during the practice session for Sunday's (April 14) Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Busch, who has won four Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway over his career, will be forced to start Sunday's Cup race from the rear end due to his crash. The 38-year-old driver backed his No. 8 Chevrolet into the side wall of Turn 2, destroying the vehicle's back.
The incident unfolded as Busch drove through the first set of corners, with his car losing traction and executing a lengthy spin before colliding with the outside barrier. Adding to his troubles, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, prompting RCR to prepare the backup car for Sunday.
The incident has added to his woes in the 2024 season. So far in the ongoing campaign, Kyle Busch has failed to impress, only recording a single top-5 finish after eight races. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who won three races in his debut season with RCR in 2023, struggles with form and underwhelming machinery.
Kyle Busch on his second Truck victory of the season
While he has a daunting task ahead in the Cup Series, Busch's weekend in Texas kicked off on an encouraging note. Fulfilling his part-time Truck Series duties, the driver of the No. 7 Chevy for Spire Motorsports secured his second Truck victory of the season in four races.
Kyle Busch spoke to the media after the race, where he lauded the efforts of his team and crew chief Brian Pattie. He said (via Motorsport.com):
"Great team, everybody here at Spire. I appreciate Pattie and everybody that was able to work so hard to prepare us a really fast Silverado. They definitely kept my honest, I'll give them that."
Speaking of the threat posed by runner-up Corey Heim, Busch acknowledged the pressure exerted by the young driver:
"Corey kept us honest right there. He started to find the top over there and get some momentum... I didn't know which way to go so I ran the middle and then darted bottom and he slipped up top, so I guess we had enough of a gap after that."
After eight races in the ongoing NASCAR Cup Series campaign, Kyle Busch finds himself uncharacteristically struggling at 15th position, having 189 points to his name.
