Prime Kyle Busch was a time in NASCAR that fans will never forget. Rowdy regularly arrived at tracks to a chorus of boos during the driver intros. Their reasons, ranging from his aggressive driving to ruthless interviews, were understandable as Busch firmly wore NASCAR’s black hat. However, his brash demeanor was backed up by some stellar performances on the track, and he did just that at the Apace Warriors 400 at Dover in 2017.
At this point in his career, the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 was regularly competing for championships. Meanwhile, riding alongside him on the track was Chase Elliott. Elliott was a sophomore in the Cup Series, still driving the #24, which he inherited from the legendary Jeff Gordon after the latter retired. And despite missing the playoffs in 2017, Elliott looked like he was about to clinch his first-ever Cup win at Dover that day, until Busch showed up.
The time Kyle Busch schooled Chase Elliott
In just a second full-time Cup Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, the 21-year-old Chase Elliott proved his mettle. Over 36 starts, he didn’t clinch a victory but earned 12 top-five finishes, 21 top-10 trips, and an average of 12th place for the season, ultimately finishing fifth in the final standings. He also kicked off the year by winning the Daytona 500 pole, his first ever, and the youngest driver to do so. With zero wins but consistent results, Elliott was clearly among NASCAR’s next wave.
At the Apache Warrior 400, Kyle Busch, who had already secured a spot in the next round of the playoffs, launched a dramatic charge, blowing back a four-second deficit in the final 40 laps. On the white flag lap, he surged all around Elliott’s outside in turn 4, commandeering the lead and that coveted victory. Chase Elliott dominated most of the final stage, leading all 23 laps and holding the front for a 59-lap run that nearly secured what could have been his maiden Cup Series victory.
But Kyle Busch crossed the line in 0.35 seconds ahead of Elliott as he bowed down to the crowd in his signature style. The then JGR Driver said with a smile, “Man, I saw that carrot out there… I stalled out… but I got back to the top and got enough momentum…Chase [Elliott] was kind of plugged up with lapped up with lap cars… the lapped cars actually helped us with that one.” It was that move that earned Kyle his fourth win at Dover and 42nd career victory, while Elliott, haunted by almost winning, was quietly left disappointed.
The post-race scene was full of raw emotion. Chase Elliott, visibly crestfallen, leaned against his car as Hendrick Legends rushed to console him. None were more supportive than Jimmie Johnson, who finished third and later admitted, “I anticipated them being cuss words—and they were,” describing Chase Elliott’s reaction during their conversation.
It doesn’t matter which driver you were pulling for, Chase Elliott vs. Kyle Busch at Dover was EPIC.
Watch it again: pic.twitter.com/arxrBLi8m1
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 2, 2017
Chase Elliott lamented, saying, “I thought if I had a clean track, I could have run as fast as he did, but I didn’t, and I should have done something different. So that’s just on me, and he [Kyle Busch] did a better job than I did. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. Man, such a bummer, such a disappointment for my team. I don’t really have a whole lot to add.”
However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finally had a breakthrough the following year. Chase Elliott captured his first career Cup win at Watkins Glen in 2018, followed by wins at Dover and Kansas that same season. Fast forward to 2025, he is already a Cup Series Champion (2020) and is currently sitting second in the drivers’ championship, and with a spot locked in the playoffs with his Atlanta win. However, Busch is facing contrasting fortunes.
Kyle Busch seems to have lost that spark. He is enduring the longest winless streak of his career, over two years, and appears unlikely to snap it in any race. However, there is one NASCAR veteran who has set out to believe in him.
Kevin Harvick maps out Busch’s playoff chances
Kyle Busch has been handed what might be his only realistic shot at making the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. And that place is other than Daytona. After finishing 10th at the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Busch shaved his deficit to the cut line down to 37 points. But with just six races left in the regular season, his playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. And while Shane van Gisbergen stole the spotlight again with another master class on a road course, Kyle’s top 10. followed y a top-5 in Chicago, felt more like survival than resurgence.
However, NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of Busch’s playoff prospects. On his happy hour podcast, Harvick said, “I just think it’s too inconsistent at this point. I think he has his strengths—he’s Kyle freaking Busch… he could go to Daytona and win—I don’t believe he’s going to win anywhere else.” Daytona is as much of a wildcard race as it has ever been, with the likes of Harrison Burton winning in 2024 and William Byron winning after running 8th on the white flag lap because of a wreck. Busch also ran amongst the top 5 until he got wrecked that race, so Harvick makes a valid point.
Regardless, it’s a tough pill to swallow for the two-time champion, who missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2012. His last win came 77 races ago at Gateway in June 2023. While there have been flashes like a near win at COTA and a P5 at the Chicago Street race, the No. 8 Chevrolet hasn’t been a serious weekly threat.
Busch has led just 62 laps all season, tallying seven top tens and two top fives with an average finish of 17.25. For a driver of his pedigree, that is a cold streak bordering on historic. But as the races and the grid get tighter, Kyle Busch has one more chance to prove why he is known as Rowdy as they head to Dover. Our eyes will be on him as he tries to place his leg above the playoff cut line. Do you think Kyle Busch will turn his season around at Dover? Let us know in the comments!
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