KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch appeared in a “Again to the Future” spoof for NASCAR to rejoice the return of the championship race to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026.
The 2 drivers gained their Cup titles at Homestead. Keselowski earned the trophy in 2012. Busch gained his in 2015 and 2019.
Today, they appear as distant from a championship as they’ve ever been. Even once they present velocity, they’ve discovered their days ruined.
Take the race Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Keselowski was operating second when he had a flat tire, wrecked and wound up thirty seventh. He sits thirty third within the collection level standings. Busch didn’t run as sturdy as Keselowski however was operating 14th when he spun and misplaced 15 spots. He sits 18th within the standings after his Twenty first-place end.
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“Simply numerous issues not coming collectively,” Keselowski mentioned. “And that is how the game goes. And also you experience the wave, and we’re on the dangerous facet of the wave. However we will push laborious to get to the best facet.”
Final week, Busch spun on his personal whereas operating close to the entrance at Texas. The Kansas wreck occurred as Ross Chastain, Josh Berry and Noah Gragson have been all on the skin of him in a four-wide scenario the place the opposite three automobiles pin-balled off one another and into Busch.
Previous to the race, Busch lamented his season, a profession by which he has gained 63 Cup races, 102 Xfinity races and 67 truck races (232 whole).
“You reside for these moments of having the ability to go get it and get a win and growth, we’re within the wall [and] we’re crashed,” Busch mentioned. “I do not know why or what, however I have been rewarded 230-plus instances for having the ability to go get it and go get the win when it comes all the way down to it.
“And now it looks as if I get penalized for making an attempt.”
Busch seems to have extra velocity than he did final 12 months, as his winless streak has prolonged to 68 races.
He admitted he was completely bummed after Texas, and it was robust simply coming to Kansas realizing it was the positioning of the same incident final fall.
“It is determined by how simple your PTSD units in,” Busch mentioned Saturday previous to hitting the wall in qualifying after which the disappointing Sunday. “Coming right here, it is most likely going to be fairly simple for it to set in, like, ‘Hey, do not do what you probably did final 12 months.’
“And, after all, coming off of final weekend … you understand it’ll be proper there within the entrance of your thoughts, not essentially too far again.”
For Busch, the spring has grow to be a little bit little bit of a second of self-reflection. He celebrated his fortieth birthday final week and his contract standing for 2027 at Richard Childress Racing stays unsettled.
Whereas Busch mentioned 40 “is only a quantity,” some drivers have seen a major falloff when racing into their 40s.
“I wish to simply get again to the methods of being aggressive and up entrance and profitable races and carry that like Denny [Hamlin] has,” Busch mentioned in regards to the 44-year-old Hamlin. “Denny has finished a fantastic job. He’s nonetheless profitable races, profitable a couple of a 12 months. That’s admirable.”
Keselowski is 41 years outdated and may take a look at Kansas as an ethical victory of types, as he has not sniffed the lead a lot this 12 months. The co-owner of RFK Racing, Keselowski modified his crew chief after final season and has a number of new crew members on his staff.
“Once you put your self able like that, you win races,” Keselowski mentioned about his Kansas run. “It is a fairly important overhaul of the [No.] 6 staff from the place we have been final 12 months.
“And there are some items which can be beginning to click on and possibly not getting the consequence. However exhibiting the potential to get the consequence at this time was a step ahead for us despite the fact that the ending order just isn’t going to indicate it.”
Cup groups have their annual All-Star race subsequent weekend. The following factors race is on Memorial Day weekend with the longest occasion of the season — the 600-miler at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
If both Busch or Keselowski wins it, few would most likely be shocked. Each drivers wanted grit to win a Cup title and each are used to coping with the adversity {that a} 400-lap, 600-mile race can carry.
“Go win the Coke 600. That is the place my feelings are at,” Keselowski mentioned. “Convey automobiles and velocity like this to the Coke 600 and let’s go win it.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years protecting motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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