Kyle Busch arrives at Richmond Raceway carrying a blend of legacy and frustration. A track where he once reigned supreme, securing his first Cup Series win in 2009 and racking up multiple wins since, Richmond has often been where the rowdy shone brightest. But 2025 has delivered a stark contrast.

After a below-par qualifying effort, he found himself sliding backward through the field in the opening laps, delivering a blistering on-air critique of the setup. This weekend’s race underscores more than just performance issues, it’s a battle for redemption at a venue that has long played a defining role in his career.

Kyle Busch rants about faulty car setup

Kyle Busch has enjoyed significant success at Richmond Raceway over the years. His first Cup Series victory came in 2009 on his 24th birthday, and he backed it up with another spring win in 2010, charging late to seal the deal.

In 2018, he pulled off a dramatic fall win after starting at the back, slicing through the field to hold off Kevin Harvick. That remains his most recent Richmond victory, as he finished 12th in 2024 and has yet to return to Victory Lane at the track since. And now, as he heads to Richmond this year, his race weekend has once again taken quite an unexpected turn.

His weekend got off on the wrong foot with a disappointing qualifying performance. Slotting in 28th with a lap time of 22.67 seconds, Busch landed well outside the front row, a far cry from his Richmond dominance. He is a six-time winner at the track.

During the race, within 20 laps, Busch found himself mired in 29th place, visibly frustrated with his equipment. Over the radio, he blasted, saying, “10 tight in the center. You guys f—-ng killed it.” He continued venting, “It’s like the right rear geometry is broke. The car is fine if I can keep it from falling over on the right rear. As soon as it falls over on the right rear, it literally just spits the a– out. F—-ng wants to spin out.”

That raw honesty underscores Busch’s irritation that something as fundamental as car balance was undermining his performance.

Richmond has historically been Kyle Busch’s stomping ground; he leads active drivers in several efficiency matrices and has made thousands of quality passes there, so even a veteran like Kyle can find himself penalized by setup missteps there. At a track where he typically excels, this kind of failure strikes harder, and his expletive-laden outburst made it clear.

Under caution, Kyle Busch keyed up to Randall Burnett, his crew chief, with frustration in his voice. He said, “Yeah, it only went 30 laps. I’m absolutely crashing on entry. I’m sure you saw it in SMT; I about crashed in Turn 3. I can’t do what the 88 is doing. I have no lateral. Nothing to lean on.” 

And now, as Kyle Busch made bold claims about the Richmond package, he scrambles for a win to punch his ticket in the playoffs, the pressure is on, but the No. 8 driver doesn’t seem too worried.

Kyle Busch is “not stressed out” about playoff hopes at Richmond

Kyle Busch knows his playoff window is closing fast. With just two regular races left: Richmond, which is currently underway, and Daytona, the stakes are high. But pressure for a playoff spot is not for a seasoned Cup Series driver like Kyle Busch.

In a pre-race interview with FOX Sports, he said, “I don’t think so, no. We just know time is running out, but I don’t think the pressure is any greater. It’s just a matter of being able to get it done, and right now is the best time so you can try to go prepare for a championship.”

Busch faced a similar scenario last season, needing a win to lock into the playoffs. His last trip to Victory Lane came on June 4, 2023, at Gateway, a drought that now looms large.

To avoid back-to-back playoff misses, he will have to find a way back to the front. He added, “I’m not stressed out over it. I think we go to each and every single weekend with the mindset of trying to go out there and win. We haven’t put ourselves in that position to score a victory, so we need to, but I wouldn’t say this weekend puts any added pressure on.”

As of now, Kyle has completed 24 of 36 scheduled NASCAR Cup Series races, sitting 15th in the Driver standings with 516 points, currently 296 points behind leader William Byron. Busch has managed to score two top fives and seven top tens in 24 races. And now with the remainder of the Richmond race left, only time will tell if Kyle Busch can make a difference on his hometown track.