Perhaps no one in this year's Daytona 500 passed more cars than Kyle Busch. Participating in his 20th 500 but seeking his very first victory in "The Great American Race," Busch drove like a man possessed and twice raced his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from deep in the field to the front.
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Unfortunately for Busch, he couldn't stay up front due to critical pit stop errors on his first two stops, which caused him to lose precious ground and have to work his way back up the order.
The errors were so frustrating that Busch's team owner, Richard Childress, took to the radio to cuss out the team, according to
The first error came on Busch's first pit stop on lap 67 after racing to a sixth-place finish in Stage 1. As he entered the pits, too many crew members jumped over the wall to service his car, triggering a penalty for the safety violation. Busch had to start Stage 2 at the back of the field.
No problem, he raced his way to the front in Stage 2 and even took the lead on lap 109. He ultimately finished Stage 2 in fourth-place. Busch's crew once again let him down when Busch pitted on lap 133. The front tire changer failed to fasten the lugnut on the front left before Busch exited the pits, causing him to have to return to pit lane to secure the lugnut. Busch avoided a penalty for the loose wheel because he carefully drove the car back to the pits without the wheel detaching from its hub.
This second mistake prompted a frustrated Richard Childress to cuss out his team over the radio, according to TobyChristie.com on X.
Richard Childress to the No. 8 pit crew: "You two guys, get your heads out of your ass. No more f&*^ing up."
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 19, 2024
Still, Busch would not be denied. Starting in the back again, Busch drove to the front, again. And took the lead, again. This time on lap 149. Ultimately, Busch will have to wait another year to try to win his first Daytona 500. The third time to race to the front proved to be one time too many and Busch had to settle for a 12th-place finish.
Sometimes, luck is the pits.
