“20 years of making an attempt, 20 years of frustration…”
Each NASCAR fan instantly acknowledges these phrases, spoken within the ultimate moments of the 1998 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt had gained all the things there’s to win at Daytona – and to this present day, no driver has extra victories than him on the Florida superspeedway. Nonetheless, it took him two full a long time to assert the most important prize of all of them. In an unprecedented present of respect, each member of each crew then lined up on pit street to congratulate ‘The Intimidator’ after the checkered flag.
Dale Earmhardt have fun his victory
Picture by: NASCAR Media
Buddy Baker was the closest to matching Earnhardt, driving the ‘Grey Ghost’ to victory in his 18th try. For Darrell Waltrip, the No. 17 gained in its seventeenth try the place he did his personal model of the ‘Ickey Shuffle’ in Victory Lane. David Pearson is the second-winningest driver within the historical past of the Cup Collection, however his solely 500 win got here in his sixteenth begin. Wanting decrease on the checklist, Bobby Allison and Michael Waltrip gained of their fifteenth begin. However solely Dale went 0-19 earlier than lastly successful NASCAR’s crown jewel occasion.
For some drivers, a victory within the 500 appeared like a certainty and but, it by no means got here to fruition. Tony Stewart has extra wins at Daytona than any driver not named Earnhardt and was a constant drive to be reckoned with on plate tracks, however the 500 nonetheless eluded him. Mark Martin practically toppled Earnhardt’s report in 2007, however misplaced in a cinematic photograph end in his twenty third try. Regardless of 4 runner-up finishes between them, each of the Labonte brothers – who every managed to make themselves Cup Collection champions – by no means had been in a position so as to add the five hundred to their Corridor of Fame resumes.
And that brings us to the current day. As already acknowledged, nobody past Earnhardt has made 20+ begins in ‘The Nice American Race’ earlier than lastly successful it … however that’s precisely what Kyle Busch is making an attempt to do that yr. Busch’s older brother, Kurt, needed to wait till his seventeenth Daytona 500 to win in 2017, however the youthful Busch brother is now approaching his twentieth try – the identical as Earnhardt when he gained.
Naturally, comparisons are being made as Busch stares down ‘20’ begins within the 500. There’s additionally the truth that he’s driving for a similar staff as Earnhardt – Richard Childress Racing, which since that iconic day in 1998 has gained the Daytona 500 two extra instances with Kevin Harvick in 2007 and Austin Dillon in 2018.
Busch has loved an unimaginable profession with two Cup titles and extra wins throughout all three nationwide divisions than any driver in historical past. He is captured each crown jewel on the schedule, excluding this one. However not like Earnhardt, Busch hasn’t gained practically as many races at Daytona… .
The driving force of the black No. 3 was at all times a menace at Daytona, making his 20-year wait much more stunning. He gained a whopping 34 races on the speedway — a report that’s possible by no means to be damaged. Busch has eight wins complete on the speedway, and his most up-to-date win on the oval got here in one of many Duel qualifying races, 9 years in the past. Nevertheless it’s not like Busch has been persona non grata on the 500 both. If destiny had been kinder, he may have raised the Harley J. Earl trophy on a couple of event by now. Right here’s simply among the highlights:
The ‘virtually’ Daytona 500 champ
2007: Busch makes the successful transfer a second too late and is boxed into the underside. Exiting the ultimate nook, he loses management from third and ignites a large pileup behind the race leaders.
2008: In a Penske vs. JGR for the win, Busch pushes his new teammate Tony Stewart whereas his older brother Kurt pushes Ryan Newman. Ky. Busch loses contact with Stewart on the ultimate lap, permitting the Penske duo to prevail.
2009: Busch leads practically half the race in a dominant exhibiting earlier than getting taken out in a weird wreck because the lapped automobiles of Dale Jr. and Brian Vickers tangled.
2016: Very similar to 2007, Busch runs on the underside whereas the surface line surges. He does not attempt to take the run, however his teammate straight behind him [Hamlin] does. Busch crosses the road third whereas Hamlin goes on to win the race.
2019: Busch earns a career-best end of second within the 500, dropping any potential likelihood at making a run on the win after preventing Logano for the runner-up place.
2023: In his first 500 with RCR, Busch is controlling the race with teammate Austin Dillon proper behind him. Their makes an attempt to orchestrate a late-race restart goes awry and Dillon wrecks. Busch remains to be in competition, however will get wrecked himself on the ultimate lap.
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro and Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing, Biohaven/Jacob Co. Ford Mustang
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
That 2023 race is very painful for KB. When a late-race warning for a lone spinner compelled the race into additional time, Busch radioed the next phrases from the lead because the occasion crossed its scheduled distance: “Again in 1998 that will be the win, boys!” he stated, referencing Earnhardt’s 500 triumph. In contrast to the Indy 500, NASCAR’s crown jewel occasion shouldn’t be assured to finish at Lap 200 and Mile 500 within the trendy age. In actual fact, that race ended up being 530 miles – 12 laps additional than anticipated. Between Lap 200 and 212, each RCR drivers had been wrecked and a despondent Busch was scored nineteenth within the ultimate working order.
Earnhardt was on Busch’s thoughts late in that 2023 race and there’s little question the ‘Man in Black’ will probably be on the forefront of Busch’s thoughts once more, ought to he be in that very same place once more this week. Some could be tempted to say that the celebrities are aligning and that this must be Busch’s yr, however Daytona has confirmed time and time once more that it cares not for what ‘ought to’ occur. A 3-time collection champion like Stewart by no means did win the five hundred whereas a driver like Trevor Bayne managed to win in his very first try.
Not the one dropping streak to look at
Surprisingly, Busch making his twentieth begin isn’t really the longest dropping streak on this race. Martin Truex Jr. will probably be working his twenty first Daytona 500. Whereas MTJ has a tough report at superspeedways, he was on the dropping facet of what turned out to be the closest Daytona 500 end in historical past. In 2016, Hamlin beat him to the road by simply 0.010s.
Brad Keselowksi will probably be one other driver to look at carefully. Making his sixteenth begin within the 500, he’s at all times a menace at each Daytona and its sister monitor, Talladega. In 2021, he dramatically crashed whereas making an attempt to make a last-lap cross for the win on his then-teammate Joey Logano. Neither made it to the end line.
If Busch pulls it off, the comparisons to Earnhardt will probably be quick, and it is not simply the media making that connection. “You’d definitely prefer to hope so,” stated Busch on Media Day, who has led 342 laps in his Daytona 500 (greater than another driver with no win).
“Twenty years of making an attempt. There was one other storied racer of the previous that gained on his twentieth attempt to that was a reasonably large deal. He was a former RCR driver as effectively so it’d definitely be good to win that race and do it with RCR within the No. 8 Chevrolet. That will be fairly cool.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Dale Earnhardt
Kyle Busch
Richard Childress Racing
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