NASCAR has introduced fresh aero regulations for short tracks for the second consecutive season, focusing on streamlining the diffuser and reducing the spoiler to 3 inches.
Despite being utilized in races at Phoenix and Richmond, there hasn’t been any noticeable enhancement in the overall racing experience, particularly for Kyle Busch and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team.
Expressing his discontent, Busch, 39, remarked at Martinsville Speedway, “I didn’t think we could make it worse, but by golly we did … for me anyways. Maybe it’s just because we don’t have it quite figured out like others do, but I cannot follow anybody in front of me whatsoever. It doesn’t matter if I’m in the bottom lane, the middle lane, the top lane – if there is a car in front of me, I am terrible, really bad.”
In recent races, Busch started 31st at Phoenix and finished 22nd, while at Richmond, he started 15th and finished 20th.
As Busch suggested, Richard Childress Racing has faced difficulties on short tracks since the debut of the Next Gen car in the 2022 season.
Speaking about their struggles, Busch said, “The short track stuff though has, you know, been very miss. We’ve had like two hits I think, so you know it’d be nice to get more on the hit side and to where we have good cars that we’re able to go out there and contend and compete. So, I think a lot of it is just the reliance on the simulation and what we’re being told in that, and making decisions based off of that – what makes you faster or better in the sim. That is not transferring to the race track, so we’ve got to go about it a different way.”
In his first season with RCR last year, Busch secured three wins, but apart from a third-place finish at Richmond, he struggled on short tracks.
Busch will commence Sunday’s race from 11th place, his best start at Martinsville since 2022, which he hopes could indicate a positive turn. Still seeking his first win of the season, he currently ranks 13th in the series standings.
Reflecting on his performance, he said, “I think anytime you have good runs, you kind of know that the points will take care of themselves. Anytime you aren’t having good runs, you probably know that you are not in good point standing. But more importantly, just trying to get our program right and up front, and in a position to where we can win a race or two and not worry about points.”
