Ryan Preece knew something was wrong when his car lifted off the ground at the NASCAR Cup Series season opener in Daytona. It was supposed to be another exciting finish at the 2025 Daytona 500, but instead, it turned into a nightmare. His No. 60 Ford flipped dangerously, nearly hitting the catch fence. Preece escaped without major injuries, but the fear was real. “As a father, as a racer, we keep beating on a door hoping for a different result,” he said afterwards, visibly shaken.
He spoke for all drivers when he warned, “I don’t want to be the example.” This was not the first time for Preece either. Back in 2023, he had a horrifying crash at Daytona where his car flipped multiple times, leaving him with two black eyes. NASCAR tried to respond by replacing grass with pavement in certain areas of the track, but it clearly wasn’t enough.
The latest incident brought superspeedway safety back into the spotlight. Now, as the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at Talladega, the same concerns echo louder. This time, they come from one of the sport’s most decorated veterans: Kyle Busch. The two-time champion isn’t mincing words. He’s frustrated, tired of being ignored, and ready to call NASCAR out over the problems haunting superspeedway racing.
Kyle Busch sounds the alarm as Talladega looms!
Ahead of the much-anticipated race, Busch spoke about the rising concerns around the superspeedway package. Talking to reporters at Talladega, Busch didn’t hold back. He said the Gen 7 cars drive “OK” since NASCAR fixed rear-end rules to keep tires down. But the racing itself? “The cadence of the race isn’t very good. That’s not very fun. It’s really hard to get runs or any sort of separation, especially with the fuel savings and all that sort of stuff. Shorter time on pit road is how you pass guys. Like, that’s no fun. So, there’s definitely an issue in that,” Busch said.
He also admitted he’s made suggestions to NASCAR, only to be ignored. “I’ve made my suggestions—in one ear, out the other,” he said. Notably, Busch’s frustrations are backed up by the numbers. Superspeedways have seen more chaotic packs, more “accordion” wrecks, and more pit road strategy races that leave fans scratching their heads. Drivers can’t pull away from the field. Fuel saving has replaced battling for position. Talladega and Daytona have become races of survival, not skill. This style of racing is execution based which is based on strategy; there’s no differentiating factor forcing drivers to fall in line.
.@KyleBusch spoke on Next Gen superspeedway racing, flap changes for safety, and what he did during the off week at today’s media bullpen. pic.twitter.com/EuphN8VtiK
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 26, 2025
He’s far from alone in his anger. Denny Hamlin slammed the 2025 Daytona 500 as “dumbass racing” after a wreck took him out. This is the three-time Daytona 500 champ speaking here, yet NASCAR chooses to ignore him. Dale Earnhardt Jr. criticized NASCAR for creating packages where good cars can’t separate from bad ones. “We have choked everything down and put so much drag on the bodies that they can’t get away from each other. A good car can’t drive away from a bad car. An experienced driver can’t distance himself from a [driver] who doesn’t have the experience,” he had said.
Although NASCAR isn’t looking to tamper with the package, they are making changes with regard to safety mechanisms. Not just Preece, Corey LaJoie and Josh Berry had violent flips last year where the race cars launched into the air before coming to rest. The governing body is adding a new flap on the A-post on the Next Gen which is expected to increase the chances of a car staying on the ground in a 90-degree spin by 40 to 50%. But, there’s a catch – this change won’t be applicable for the race at Talladega, but late in the season at Daytona.
Busch wasn’t pleased with the fact that NASCAR didn’t have the solution in place for the race at Dega. “You would like to have anything like that as soon as you possibly could get and have it on the race cars. Especially coming into places like this, so I would agree with the sentiment that it is a disappointment that we don’t have it yet, if it’s a safety feature for us.” Beyond this, the RCR driver is also wary about the fact that he will need a good result at Talladega.
Busch eyes redemption at Talladega
Despite the frustration, Kyle Busch isn’t backing down. If anything, it’s fueling him. After a tough stretch with Richard Childress Racing, Busch is ready to turn the page. He showed strong speed in qualifying, putting his No. 8 Chevrolet second on the grid, right behind pole-sitter Zane Smith. For Busch, it’s not just another race. It’s a chance to prove he’s still a force. Notably, Talladega has been good to Busch before.
The two-time Cup series champion won here in 2023 with RCR, giving the team and himself a much-needed boost. Now, he’s hungry for more. The 66-race winless drought hangs over him like a cloud. Ending it at Talladega, one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable tracks, would be sweet redemption. FOX Sports analyst and former RCR driver Kevin Harvick noted how much Richard Childress values superspeedways. “You always put a lot of emphasis on the superspeedways,” Harvick told viewers.
Busch is carrying that expectation. His Chevrolet showed speed, stability, and potential during qualifying — rare traits in Talladega chaos. Ford drivers dominate the front rows, but Busch stands as Chevrolet’s best hope. Zane Smith, Joey Logano, and Ryan Preece are among the threats. But Rowdy has the experience, the hunger, and now, the platform. A win on Sunday wouldn’t just end his drought. It would send a loud message to the NASCAR garage that his best days aren’t behind him.
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