Kyle Busch has never shied away from sharing his opinion. The former Truck Series team owner is keeping a close eye on proceedings this season, especially with regards to NASCAR’s ‘approval process,’ which allows certain drivers to compete in the Cup Series, irrespective of their motorsports background. At first glance, it might seem like an exciting prospect, especially after the likes of IndyCar drivers Helio Castroneves and Katherine Legge made their debuts at the highest level recently.
However, as with any controversial decision, there are also drawbacks. A lesson Daniel Suarez was forced to learn the hard way at Phoenix Raceway. Kyle Busch doesn’t seem to be a fan of the process either, reflecting on how his Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers were treated in the past as he proposed an alternate solution to the ongoing dilemma.
Kyle Busch sheds light on NASCAR’s double standard
The Daytona 500 is arguably the biggest fixture on the NASCAR calendar. Known as ‘The Great American Race,’ the season-opener sets the tone for the entire campaign, which is why drivers and teams are desperate to qualify and get a result in the event. Even though the stakes were higher than ever, NASCAR allowed Helio Castroneves to compete at the crown jewel event without needing to qualify, despite his limited experience in stock car racing. The same can be said about Katherine Legge, who took part in the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500 despite having had no oval starts since 2018.
Speaking on Saturday’s media availability, Kyle Busch struggled to find an answer when asked about the ‘approval process.’ When asked by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Rowdy said, “I feel like I’ve questioned the approval process for a long, long time. Being an owner in the Truck Series and seeing some young drivers get opportunities at different tracks versus my drivers that I was trying to get opportunities on some of the same tracks getting denied.” He went on to say, “I think it’s broken; I think there is a lot of work that can be done to make it better.”
Willing to lend a helping hand, Kyle Busch said that the decision to approve drivers should be made by current Cup Series drivers, and “it shouldn’t be suit and ties making the decisions always.” The Nevada native went on to say that the same logic also applies for handing out punishments, giving Austin Cindric’s right rear hook incident with Ty Dillon at COTA as an example by saying, “I think you should get penalized by your peers.” Will NASCAR take his suggestions seriously? They might have to give it considerable thought as Busch isn’t the only one who feels that NASCAR needs to be more ‘selective’ with regards to who they let compete in the Cup Series.
Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez had an on-track incident with Katherine Legge at Phoenix Raceway. This wreck ended his race, and he held the sanctioning body accountable for the same, saying, “They cannot allow somebody with no experience to run in the Cup Series, plain and simple.” While neither driver seems to object to the idea of having drivers from different disciplines compete in NASCAR, both recognize there is work to be done on the approval process.
For now, Kyle Busch turns his focus to the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This track is particularly special for the veteran as he saw the track being built from the ground up, being a native of Las Vegas. Will he be able to end his winless streak at Vegas this Sunday? Well, he’s already won there before in 2009, but he has his reservations.
Busch is feeling the pressure ahead of the home race in Vegas
Kyle Busch has been there and done that. The 39-year-old is one of the more experienced racers in the NASCAR calendar, who has won two Cup Series titles in his long but illustrious career with 23 wins across the three National Series. However, his time at Richard Childress Racing has been tough, especially after going winless for the entire 2024 campaign for the first time in his career. However, Rowdy has the unique opportunity to break his 61-race winless streak in front of home fans, a prospect he is relishing even though it comes with added pressure to perform.
Sharing his thoughts ahead of the Pennzoil 400, Busch said, “Yeah, Vegas always means a little bit more pressure – more pressure on myself – just because it’s the home town and you can to win there. Thankfully, I have won there, and I’ve knocked that one off the list, but certainly you want to win there every year.” Acknowledging that the No. 8 Chevy has improved since last year, the veteran racer went on to say, “With another major step like that, we can be a contender for racing for the win.”
As things stand, Kyle Busch currently ranks eighth in the drivers’ standing, 55 points behind leader William Byron. The Nevada native has shown glimpses of his old form this year, particularly at the Circuit of the Americas, where he led 42 laps before being overtaken by Christopher Bell, only to end up in 5th place. Will his home race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway prove to be the turning point of the year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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