What's behind Kyle Busch's Talladega curse? Breaking down years of heartbreak on NASCAR's wildest track

Kyle Busch has become one of the recent victims of the 'Talladega curse,' a phrase that grew after strange crashes and other odd incidents at the 2.66-mile oval.

Talladega Superspeedway has always had an infamous record as an unusual racetrack, earning a reputation for unpredictability and strange incidents over the years. Two such events happened in 1973. NASCAR driver Larry Smith hit the wall on lap 14 and later died of head injuries. The wreck looked minor at first, and experts said the crash should not have been fatal. Bobby Isaac climbed from his car on lap 90 of that same race and quit racing in the NASCAR Cup Series that day. He said he heard voices telling him to quit.

Aside from bizarre incidents and crashes, Talladega also has a pattern of ending hot runs, and Busch experienced that first-hand in 2018. He chased four straight Cup wins at Talladega after winning at Texas, Bristol, and Richmond during the spring, but a 14-car crash with 22 laps left wrecked that chance. Busch finished 4th in the first stage that day, and the wreck ended a bid that had looked strong earlier in the race. The then-Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended up 13th at the finish line.

Busch faced bad luck at Talladega once again during the NASCAR Cup playoffs in 2021. He suffered heavy damage and missed advancing further in the playoffs by seven points.

His team had fixed the damage to his No. 18 Toyota's rear suspension, upper control arm, and body after a 48-minute garage stop, but he still lost many laps and finished 40th. A chain-reaction crash later added to his bad luck. Busch had stayed at the back to avoid wrecks but was hit from behind when others did not slow down. He gained a few spots late but could not recover and left the track frustrated.

Overall, Kyle Busch, like some other drivers, has fallen victim to the unpredictability and 'The Big Ones' at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Will Kyle Busch's Talladega curse continue this Sunday?

Kyle Busch does have two wins at Talladega. After three years of bad finishes, he got his first win there in his first season with JGR in 2008.

He also won the GEICO 500, which also came after joining Richard Childress Racing in 2023. However, the two-time Cup champion has not had a top-10 finish there since.

The 'Talladega curse' or bad luck has continued for him in recent years as he looks to break the longest drought of his 21-year Cup career. He has ended way back in the pack at Talladega instead of running near the front.

In 10 of his last 12 races at Talladega, Kyle Busch finished 18th or worse. Meanwhile, the 2025 YellaWood 500 is scheduled to start at 2 pm this Sunday, October 18.