Winless and struggling, Kyle Busch faces pressure to get back on track

For nearly two decades, Kyle Busch has been one of NASCAR's most accomplished drivers.

From 2006 to 2023 , he won 61 races, two Cup Series championships and an Xfinity Series title and became the winningest driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series history.

This year, however, "Shrub" — Busch's nickname in the early years of his career — has found more TV time as a victim of a crash than running up front.

Busch sits 19th in the Cup Series playoff standings and needs a win — his first of the season — in one of the next four Cup Series races to make the playoffs. The 39-year-old driver has never had a winless season in his Cup Series career, dating to his 2005 rookie season.

That season, Busch won only twice and finished 19th, notching nine top-fives and 13 top-10s. Through the first 22 races of 2024 , he has two top-fives and six top-10s.

In 2006 and 2007, Busch made the Chase for the Nextel Cup, finishing 10th and fifth in points, respectively. Unfortunately for Busch and his Richard Childress Racing team, no such comeback seems remotely possible this season. It's a stunning turnaround.

With the advent of NASCAR's Next Gen car in 2022, RCR quickly put the mediocrity that had plagued the team for years in the rearview. The new car provided a boost for the organization, as Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 team became a championship threat, winning twice in the regular season before a first-round postseason exit.

A win at Texas followed the playoff elimination, however, proving that no matter the situation, RCR finally had speed again.

Austin Dillon also joined in on the fun, winning the regular-season finale at Daytona to earn a playoff berth for himself, ensuring that both of the organization's entries would be eligible for the championship.

RCR's future only seemed to get brighter when Busch joined the team for 2023. The pairing immediately looked like a title threat, winning three of the first 15 races of 2023. However, since the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway last June — Busch's last win to date — things simply haven't been the same.

RCR has sunk to new lows in 2024 alongside Busch, and despite making moves in the office , the speed on the racetrack hasn't seen an uptick.

Both Busch and teammate Dillon are on the verge of missing the playoffs, and only a stellar Xfinity Series program can save face for the team.

As a 20-year-old in 2005, Busch seemed to have a Hall of Fame career ahead of him.

As a veteran driver 19 years later, however, Father Time apparently has snuffed out his hopes for a playoff appearance. For "Shrub," it may be time to step aside for a younger generation of stars.