NASCAR News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Busch critical of NASCAR short-track package, says it won’t be fixed

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated 4/6/24

In the last two years, NASCAR has made a lot of incremental changes to the short track package. Kyle Busch thinks it has only gotten worse. Then again, that may be because of the poor results the No. 8 team has had.

It is no secret that Kyle Busch and his Richard Childress Racing crew are not firing on all cylinders. The short tracks have been a really big thorn in their side this season. Busch seems to think NASCAR is to blame.

Rowdy talked to the media at Martinsville about the short track situation. He has yet to finish in the top-20 at any short track this year.

“I didn’t think we could make it [the package] worse, but by golly, we did, ” Busch said, via Nathan Solomon.

When asked what kind of solutions NASCAR could have, changes they could make – Busch isn’t worried about it. He knows NASCAR won’t do anything.

“It doesn’t matter, they won’t do it.

Kyle Busch on the short-track package: "I didn't think we could make it worse, but by golly, we did."

Busch hasn't finished inside the top 20 in three short-track races.

What could NASCAR do better?

"It doesn't matter, they won't do it."
— Nathan Solomon (@NSolly02) April 6, 2024

Kyle Busch at Richmond did not look like his usual self. At Bristol, a track he’s dominated in the modern era, he did not look the same. Something is just not clicking. While Busch is saying it is the short track package, I’m not sure that’s the main culprit.

While there is a lot of room for improvement, other drivers are finding the key to these tracks. If you only have top-15 speed, it doesn’t matter if you’re aero-tight or having trouble passing. You can’t advance without speed. Plain and simple.

Kyle Busch has an RCR problem

The argument Kyle Busch is making is a valid one. Things have not really improved at all on short tracks. There may have been a marginal difference, but some drivers feel like it has been more or less the same, and in Rowdy’s case, worse.

Richard Childress Racing has problems. The product at that organization has definitely gotten worse, and it’s at more than just short tracks. Austin Dillon is not competing at an acceptable level and Busch has not had the speed he had early in the season last year.

Whatever happened at the end of last season has carried over to this year. The problems are persistent and they are happening with not just one team, but both RCR teams.

For now, RCR needs to figure out what they are going to do to give Kyle Busch winning cars. Then they need to figure out how to get Austin Dillon into the top-20 on a consistent basis. Short of that, they might need to start looking at their options in 2025 and what they can do differently from a personnel perspective.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: