Kyle Busch makes mistake on pit road, hit with costly penalty at Richmond

It’s been a nightmare start for Kyle Busch in Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Busch, who started 28th, lost spots in Stage 1 and complained about his car.

Now, he’s made a big mistake that has put him in an even deeper hole. Busch was too fast entering pit road during his Stage 2 pit stop, resulting in a pass-through penalty. Now more than halfway through the second stage, Busch is back in 35th and a lap down.

Safe to say, Busch won’t be winning this one. At this point in the season, that means everything. Simply put, Busch needs a win to avoid missing the postseason for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately for Busch, it’s been a long time since he’s been to Victory Lane. For that, you’d have to go back to June 4, 2023, at Gateway. 

Kyle Busch’s playoff hopes are slipping away

Busch said before Saturday’s race there was no added pressure on him: “I don’t think so, no. We just know time is running out, but I don’t think the pressure is any greater. It’s just a matter of being able to get it done, and right now is the best time so you can try to go prepare for a championship.

“I’m not stressed out over it. I think we go to each and every single weekend with the mindset of trying to go out there and win. We haven’t put ourselves in that position to score a victory, so we need to, but I wouldn’t say this weekend puts any added pressure on.”

Perhaps Busch will have a different outlook when he leaves the racetrack. Now, his only path left is getting it done at Daytona. While there are worse tracks to go to when you desperately need a win, you have to make it to the end to have a shot. That will be the challenge for Busch and the field next Saturday.