HAMPTON, Ga. — Two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch says for he and his team to make the playoffs, they need to do “what we’re paid to do and that’s to execute.”
Busch, who missed the playoffs last year and is winless in his last 74 Cup starts, said Friday that he sees a path to make the playoffs even without a victory.
Busch enters Saturday night’s race at EchoPark Speedway 63 points below the cutline. Nine races remain in the regular season.
Kyle Larson became the fifth driver to compete in both races on the same day this year.
Eleven drivers have won this season, leaving five playoff spots via points.
“I would say if you find another winner outside (a playoff spot), then I would say you’re in a must-win (situation),” Busch said Friday. “I would say right now, today, pointing your way in with no more new winners is certainly doable. Our biggest fault is just not being able to get stage points.”
Busch has 19 stage points this season — 14 came at Circuit of the Americas in March. Busch’s stage point total ranks 26th among the 36 full-time drivers in the series.
Busch, who has one top-10 finish in the last nine races, noted that he and his team have to be strong the rest of the regular season to have a chance to make the playoffs.
Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in all five races at Atlanta with Richard Childress Racing.
Busch starts Saturday night’s race 29th, but this has been his best track since joining Richard Childress Racing after the 2022 season. He has scored five consecutive top-10 finishes at Atlanta.
Putting together a string of top-10 finishes is challenging. No driver has scored more than four top 10s in a row this season.
“I think it just boils down to all of us on our team being accountable,” Busch said. “Pit crew, myself, (crew chief) Randall (Burnett), engineers, everybody and being able to do what we know how to do and what we’re paid to do and that’s to execute. It starts here this weekend.”
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