Kyle Busch calls Snowball Derby 'bucket list' race ahead of quest for third win

This December, Kyle Busch is racing for his third Snowball Derby win, and he knows just how important this race is to stock car history. As one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history, Busch reveres the Snowball Derby and what it represents.

Danny Stockman is going to crew chief the No. 51 Lucas Oil Chevy from Byrson Lopez Racing. Stockman is fresh off winning the Xfinity Series championship with Jesse Love and RCR.

Kyle Busch wants to win this race. He wouldn’t enter it if he didn’t think he could win it. It is a race that so many drivers have wanted to win and failed to do so. He won in 2009 and 2017, eight years apart. Can he do it again, eight years after his last win?

“It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Pensacola, but I haven’t forgotten how to get around Five Flags,” Busch said of the race, via FloRacing. “The Snowball Derby is one of those bucket list races you always want to win again and again, and I’m fired up to be back with the No. 51 Lucas Oil team and FloRacing. We’re showing up to take that trophy home.”

Kyle Busch has not had a great last two years in racing. He’s had a bit of success here and there in his sprint car endeavors on the dirt. But when it comes to stock cars, he’s been about as bad as you can be if you’re Kyle freakin’ Busch.

This late model is going to have a great crew chief. Busch is a great driver. So, they have a shot. Let’s not act like it’s hopeless. Perhaps a win in the Snowball Derby would go a long way to boosting Busch’s confidence for the 2026 season. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to go from bad to good again.

Kyle Busch is racing more outside of NASCAR

As Brexton Busch gets older, Kyle Busch seems to be racing more and more often. That’s great for race fans and even better for Rowdy Nation. The father-son duo are even starting to race each other on dirt. It’s getting very exciting to keep up with the family and their race antics.

It would be great to see Busch in a late model more often. Taking on the Snowball Derby is major. This is good for the Derby and good for Busch. Get back to the grassroots, remind yourself what this is all about, and then get ready for the 2026 Cup Series season with a new fire in your belly.

Richard Childress Racing has made changes. Jim Pohlman is coming over from JR Motorsports with Justin Allgaier to be Busch’s crew chief. Pohlman has a history with RCR in select Cup Series races as a crew chief. But this is a new challenge entirely.

If Pohlman can get Kyle Busch back to victory lane, he might deserve crew chief of the year next season. There’s a lot that has to happen between now and then, though.