With two regular-season events remaining on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Kyle Busch rallied from a difficult summer stretch to maintain his Playoff qualification hopes by achieving a strong top-five result in the form of a fourth-place finish in the rain-postponed FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Monday, August 19.
The two-time Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, rolled off the starting grid in 13th place based on a random draw after the event’s qualifying session was canceled and determined through a metric formula from the NASCAR Rule Book. Through early mixed strategies, Busch, who initially was battling within the top 15 and 20 marks, netted five stage points at the conclusion of the first stage period by finishing in sixth place. Then just as he was set to restart inside the top 10 for the start of the second stage period, the event was delayed and postponed to Monday due to a steady increase of precipitation that canceled the remainder of on-track actions on Sunday.
Returning back to action on Monday, Busch moved up to restart alongside the leader Chase Elliott as part of the Choose Rule for the start of the second stage period on Lap 55. It would then only take two laps for the Las Vegas native to move his No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead, where he officially led for the first time on Lap 58. He would lead the next seven laps before he was overtaken by Martin Truex Jr.
While continuing to run towards the front throughout the second stage period, Busch, who was among a handful of competitors to remain on the track as part of a strategic call before a five-lap shootout to conclude the second stage period, would emerge ahead of Ross Chastain and retain the lead for a full lap before the caution returned for a multi-car wreck in Turn 4. With the second stage period officially concluding under caution, Busch proceeded to capture his first elusive stage victory of the 2024 season and grab both 10 stage points and a Playoff point towards his efforts to make the Playoffs.
As the race proceeded into the final stage period, Busch, who kept his car intact, pitted under green from inside the top 10 with less than 35 laps remaining amid a late cycle of green flag pit stops. With crew chief Randall Burnett opting for a two-tire pit call to give Busch an on-track advantage, the pit call initially worked to their advantage as Busch emerged as the highest-running competitor on the track who recently pitted. In the closing laps, however, he was overtaken by eventual winner Tyler Reddick and William Byron on the track.
Amid two overtime shootouts, Busch, who restarted in sixth place during the latest shootout, steered his way to a fourth-place finish for his third top-five result of the 2024 season, his first since finishing fourth at Dover Motor Speedway in late April and his 10th in 36 Cup starts overall at Michigan.
With the top-five finish, Busch, who came into Michigan 122 points below the top-16 cutline towards the Playoff standings, is 97 points behind with two regular-season events remaining on the 2024 schedule as he strives to make the Cup Series Playoffs for the 17th time in his career and second in a row driving for Richard Childress Racing.
“I wish I came out [of pit road] with about an eight-second lead. That might’ve helped a little bit,” Busch said on USA Network. “Overall, just net positive on the weekend and being better speed and upfront and having a shot anyways, but we ran top 10 all day. So really good call by [crew chief] Randall [Burnett] and the guys to get us that two tires, get us that more track position and just try to hold [the leaders] off as best we could. Overall, net good day.”
While Busch continues to pursue his first race victory of the 2024 season, which would extend his current race-winning streak to 20 consecutive seasons, the top-five result left him both pleased and optimistic about the recent competitiveness being generated from Richard Childress Racing that would enable Busch and his No. 8 Chevrolet team to win one or both of the remaining regular-season events on the schedule and automatically qualify for the 2024 Playoffs.
“This is how we would expect to run, this is how we want to run,” Busch added. “We want to run up front, top 10s and have opportunities to excel. Good pit calls helped us to be able to do that and just making a couple good moves on those late restarts right there that got us that. Nothing can translate from today into Daytona or Darlington set-up wise, vehicle dynamics, that sort of stuff, but good momentum rolling in the right direction. Just keep that going.”
Kyle Busch’s quest to make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continues next Saturday, August 24, at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, with the event’s broadcast time to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
