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Moreover, Herbst has only led one lap and is sitting nil on wins, top fives, and pole positions. He has an average start of 27.23 and an average finish of 26.10 with 3 DNFs. But in NASCAR, performance matters, and when you are the only driver in your camp that has not made it into the playoffs, eyebrows are bound to be raised. And who knows, Kyle Busch might actually get a breakthrough with a potential place at 23XI Racing. However, Trotta believes that Busch has more in him before he decides to call it quits: “Yeah. I don’t know if he, but I don’t think he should hang it up. I hope he is. I mean, I know what you’re saying. Like, it’s hard to watch him run in the back, but I don’t want to see him walk away.” And if you think about it, 23XI Racing would be the perfect fit for Busch. The team has benefited from Toyota’s overall dominance in the Round of 16 and circled the wagons around Bubba Wallace and Reddick by avoiding real elimination danger in that stretch. Meanwhile, Wallace had been the stronger contributor for the team; he led all playoff drivers in stage points (35) and continuously positioned himself as a championship threat. Reddick, on the other hand, has hovered near the bubble; after entering the round below the cut line, he has shown flashes like a runner-up at Darlington. However, currently, the duo sits below the cut-off line as the NASCAR Cup garage heads to Kansas Speedway. Tyler Reddick is positioned 11th in the standings with 23 points below the cut line, and Bubba Wallace is 12th with 27 points. It is going to be an uphill battle for the team to make it into the Round of 8, but so far, they have been delivering. And amid all this, Kyle Busch’s crew chief has left the veteran to be part of Connor Zilisch’s team, abandoning the two-time champion. But now, when it matters the most, one NASCAR veteran believes in his ex-rival (Busch) more than ever. Kevin Harvick overcomes his hate and demands hope for a Busch redemption On the Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick confessed that once he passionately hated ‘Rowdy.’ But hate has faded into something heavier: disappointment. Looking at Busch’s current slump, Harvick couldn’t help but wince: “I can’t imagine Kyle Busch going out like this. It’s bad for everything. It’s bad for the sport. It’s bad for him. It’s bad for everything that says ‘Kyle Busch.’ I hate to see where it’s at.” For Harvick, it’s not about rivalry anymore; it’s about watching a two-time champion stuck in quicksand, with no clear way out. And it’s not the car to blame, as Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch’s teammate, managed to snag a win this year while Busch continues to struggle. The mystery isn’t just in the numbers but in the pit box too. Crew chief Randall Burnett, who has been glued to the No. 8 team since 2020, is already packing his bag for Trackhouse Racing’s Connor Zilisch in 2026. Harvick’s old buddy Rodney Childers was floated as a replacement, but he is off to JR Motorsports instead. That leaves Busch standing in the garage with more questions than answers. Harvick added, “I don’t believe Kyle Busch is that bad. I have a hard time believing that. So, it’s definitely kind of a mess.” Time isn’t exactly his teammate anymore. Retirement whispers are getting louder than before. But before Busch hangs up his helmet, fans and even Harvick are desperate for one last flash of vintage ‘Rowdy.’ The lap-leading, trash-talking, fire-breathing Busch that made NASCAR love and loathe him all at once. For now, though, it feels like the sport is waiting for a comeback that may never come.
