Kyle Busch losing NASCAR Truck race at Texas would be worst sign of his decline

Kyle Busch hasn't won a NASCAR Cup Series race since 2023 and is in the midst of the worst start of his Cup Series career, sitting 27th in the standings through the first 10 races of 2026. 

Yet, since his last Cup win in June 2023, Busch has won five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, including one at Atlanta in February. His trips to Victory Lane are sparse nowadays, but there have still been a few. 

Busch is looking for a 69th career Truck Series win — he's already the winningest driver in series history — in Friday's SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A loss might be the biggest indictment of Busch yet. 

Kyle Busch's Texas dominance

That's because Busch has won the last four Truck Series races at Texas that he's competed in (2014, 2019, 2020, 2024) and led a combined 361 laps in those four events. 

As little as seven years ago, Busch winning a Truck Series race would've been a ho-hum story. Now, in the midst of the once-indomitable Busch struggling mightily to be competitive at the Cup level, it's a beacon of light for his legions of fans who hope to one day see the future Hall of Famer return to form. 

Until that return to form comes to fruition, the Truck Series is Busch's best shot at victory, and Friday's race at Texas is an opportunity Busch can't allow to get by him.