Kyle Busch's season-long struggles exacerbated by mechanical failure at Iowa

NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch

It seems Kyle Busch just isn't meant to have a good run in 2024.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion came into Sunday's Iowa Corn 350 beneath the playoff cutline, but was running inside the top-10 in Stage Three of Sunday's race.

Unfortunately, it all came crashing down in an instant.

A flat tire with 81 laps remaining relegated Busch to the back of the pack before further mechanical issues dropped  the No. 8 car to 34th. While Busch was eventually able to rejoin the race – albeit, many laps down – a 35th-place finish was all he was able to muster.

Busch was far from the only driver to suffer from tire issues over the course of Sunday's race, but his poor result in Iowa stings that much more because Busch is in a heated battle to make the postseason. After Iowa, Busch sits 18th in the playoff standings, 31 points behind Bubba Wallace. While 31 points can easily be made up over the course of one race, Busch has only scored 31 or more points five times in the first 17 races of 2024.

The task for Busch over the next nine races is simple: Put together consistent results and a playoff berth should come easily. No disrespect to Chris Buescher or Bubba Wallace, but Busch has proven to be a far more reliable driver under pressure than either of the cars he's trying to knock out of the playoff field.

While Busch may rightfully be worried about defending his 19 year winning streak – he has won at least one race in every Cup Series season of his career to this point – a win will eventually come if he puts himself in position.

Finding speed may be the toughest task on Busch's to-do list for the remainder of the regular season, but it's imperative if he wants to fight for his third championship. The No. 8 team can't afford days like Sunday if they want to be included in the playoffs. They're all out of mulligans.

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