Kyle Busch evaluates whether he's facing a must-win scenario or can point his way into NASCAR playoffs

Kyle Busch shockingly missed the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in 2024. It was a low point for him in an otherwise iconic career, and he’s hoping it was a blip on the radar, and not the new normal.

At the moment though, Busch finds himself on the outside looking in. He doesn’t have a win, and if he’s going to make the playoffs, he’s either going to have to get to Victory Lane, or point his way into the playoffs. The latter is certainly going to be more difficult than the former, but Busch doesn’t believe it’s impossible.

“I would say, if you find another winner outside (the top 16), then you’re in a must-win,” Busch explained, regarding whether or not he’s facing a must-win scenario at the moment, via FOX’s Bob Pockrass. “I would say, right now today, pointing your way in, with no more new winners, is certainly doable. It’s just, our biggest fault is not being able to get stage points.

“If we could have a big points day, like COTA — COTA-type days for the next eight weeks will put you right in the thick of things, and we’ll be fine. Especially if others have issues. But you’ve got to have those strong days eight weeks in a row, and that’s just what we’re trying to get to.”

As Busch mentioned, COTA was no doubt his best performance of the season, and it remains his only top five at the moment. However, the two-time champion is in a bit of a slump at the moment, coming home P37 in Mexico City and P20 at Pocono.

He’s not shying away from accountability as he looks ahead: “Mexico is on me. I take full accountability on that one. Pocono, I would say that we unloaded soft, and just kind of stayed that way. We weren’t really able to capitalize at any given point on the weekend,” Busch added.

“We can’t have those. Dover’s been a good track for us, we’ve been fast there. Indy has been a good track for us. We were fast there, finished in the top three. So, I would say there’s some places that we can do it.”

A potential playoff run will begin tonight, with the NASCAR Cup Series heading to EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch will roll off P29, but anything can happen in Georgia. It’s been one of his better tracks in recent memory.