Four Races Remain for Kyle Busch to Keep Win Streak Going

The competition of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs has only gotten tougher since its inception in 2004. Though going through multiple changes during that time, Kyle Busch has always managed to find himself on the good side of things. That was until this most recent round, ultimately facing elimination after Sunday's (October 11) race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The "2020" season hit Busch the hardest during this round with the No. 18 finishing sixth, 27th, and 30th. The defending champions elimination is just another example of how consistency still wins championships, much like he did last season but for just the second time in his career, Busch will not compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

The last time Busch missed the playoffs came in 2014, the first season of the round style playoffs. During that season, Busch earned just one victory, nine top-five, and 15 top-10 finishes. Comparing 2020 to that season, Busch has more top-fives (12) and top-10's (17) but still has a zero in the win column. The number that could end a streak that has spanned Busch's entire NASCAR Cup Series career. He's earned at least one victory in every season, with the exception of his part-time season in 2004. With four races remaining, if Busch earned just one victory he'd match 2006, 2007, 2012, and 2014 and the opportunity is still there, though a championship isn't on the line.

Kansas, Texas, Martinsville, and Phoenix remain on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Those four tracks have seen Busch in victory lane in the past but Phoenix is the only track on that list that Busch has won at in the fall, the others have all come during the first half of the season. He earned the victory in the fall race of 2018 at Phoenix, punching his ticket for Homestead during that season. During that season Busch also earned his most recent victory at Texas. He won at Martinsville in 2017 and at Kansas in 2016, the only career Cup victories at those two tracks. The luck will just need to go Busch's way during at least one of those races for Busch to keep his streak alive.

It's not time to discuss Busch's departure from Joe Gibbs Racing either, that would come if 2021 became a winless season. Drivers can always have one bad season, after all, his JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have had their fair share of rough seasons. In the sport of NASCAR, when a driver has a rough season, the crew chief will normally be changed during the off-season. Adam Stevens has won two championships with Busch but could it be time for a change on the No. 18 pit box?

Jason Ratcliff is expected to move to the No. 20 with Christopher Bell in 2021 leaving Chris Gayle without a spot for next season. Gayle and Busch have had success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series earning 10 victories in 2015 & '16. Dave Rogers, Jeff Meendering, and Ben Beshore fill the Xfinity Series crew chief lineup while Kyle Busch Motorsports has Mike Hillman Jr., Rudy Fugle, and Danny Stockman Jr. meaning that the depth of opportunity for Busch to have a new crew chief is very possible.

In the long run, Busch's 2020 is one to definitely forget but Busch found the perfect way to sum up his feelings of 2020 after Sunday's race at the ROVAL. 

"But man, this is just one of those off-years, a terrible year for me. But as other sports greats would say, ‘there are many other drivers that would love to have the year we’re having."

Can Kyle Busch end 2020 with a victory or will we have to wait until 2021 to see the No. 18 back in victory lane? (Koelle, 2020)