Through three weeks of the NASCAR Playoffs, there’s a question we must answer ahead of the Round of 12: Is Kyle Busch in trouble?
Busch’s most recent string of shaky performances started at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he brought home at 37th-place finish. That was followed up by a 19th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, second place at Richmond Raceway and a 37th-place effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval.
NASCAR.com’s Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver are here to debate: So, what does all that mean?
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Jonathan Merryman: Absolutely nothing. Over the past four seasons, no one has been better than Kyle Busch. While the Round of 16 didn’t go as planned for the No. 18 team, it doesn’t matter. Points reset, and he is again the points leader heading into the Round of 12 that comprises races at Dover International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway.
Busch has managed to win three times at Dover, Talladega is a wild-card, and Kansas saw a string of eight consecutive top 10s from Busch end this spring. On top of the natural talent, Busch also has a 41-point cushion to the cutline. In other words, he has one mulligan left and three races to dial it in before the heat is on in the Round of 8.
Even then, the Candyman should be fine. After all, M&M’s do well in the heat – “They have a thin candy shell.”
Alex Weaver: Momentum needs to be in his favor. While Busch is one of the best drivers in the field — and ever — momentum has to be in your camp when fighting for a championship. The team has been stricken by mistakes on pit road, wrecks and mechanical issues over the last few weeks and hasn’t found Victory Lane in the past 15 races. That’s a slump for Kyle Busch.
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Do I think he needs to be worried in the Round of 12? Absolutely not. Do I think he needs to be worried about the Round of 8? Again, no. He came in with enough playoffs points, including the 15-point bonus for being the Regular Season Champion, his points cushion will continue to help his cause.
Does Busch need to be worried about adding another championship? Yes. It is time for Busch to turn on the heat and show his dominance in the next two rounds of the playoffs. To quote the Candyman himself, “It’s pathetic to have to lean on insurance. My premiums are going to go up.”
Sure, a cushion is a soft place to land. But when running for a championship, an average finish of 19.3 in the Round of 16 sure does jack up insurance prices.