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Kyle Busch's slow start in 2024 more worrying than originally thought
After Kyle Busch's first five NASCAR Cup Series races of the season only brought forth one top-10 result, some fans were worried, but not too concerned about the two-time champion's slow start. Three races later and following consecutive poor performances on short tracks, Busch's slow start is no longer a worrying trend, but a concerning reality.
Busch finished 20th at Richmond on Easter Sunday and followed that up with a disappointing 16th-place run at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. With such a lack of speed, one has to wonder if there is anything going on behind the scenes at Richard Childress Racing.
Sunday's 16th-place finish marks the fourth race this season in which the No. 8 team has shown mid-pack speed, with consecutive races earlier in the season at both Phoenix and Bristol also proving that Busch and the No. 8 team have fallen off from their solid performance in 2023. Busch won thrice in the first 15 races of 2023, but the closest he has come to victory in 2024 was in a thrilling three-wide finish at Atlanta. Aside from being the third wheel in NASCAR's viral moment, not much has gone right for the Las Vegas native in 2024.
Going to Texas next week – and more importantly Talladega the week after – Busch needs to string together solid finishes to reinvigorate his usually rowdy fanbase. Whether it's a win or a string of top fives, the No. 8 team needs a shot in the arm to get back to their usual place atop the Cup Series field.
Maybe it's just Father Time finally playing it's hand or maybe it's just slow cars, but it's clear that something needs to change if Busch wants to be anywhere near the championship stage come November.
More must-reads:
- Four things we learned after William Byron's storybook win at Martinsville
- NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports just might be better than ever
- The 'Daytona 500 winners' quiz
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Connor Zilisch losing Xfinity Series championship should be final indictment of NASCAR's playoff system
There's a time for everything, including NASCAR finally making a change to a championship format that has only drawn more disdain with every passing year. NASCAR's current elimination-style playoff format is meant to reward winning. It's meant to reward the best drivers shining when the lights are brightest. But motorsports are inherently different than stick and ball sports, and a NASCAR season plays out over nine months of grueling competition. In the current playoff format, the drivers and teams who have been the best over the entire season are seldom rewarded. That's what happened to NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch in Saturday's Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Zilisch, a 19-year-old phenom, will be full-time in the Cup Series in 2026, won 10 races, scored 20 top-five finishes and led 1,013 laps despite missing a race. Over the final 21 races of the season, Zilisch finished top 10 20 times, including a stretch of 18 consecutive top-five finishes. But in a format where the championship is decided among four drivers in a single race, Zilisch finished second in the title hunt to Jesse Love, who passed Zilisch with 24 laps to go and went on to win the race and the title. It was an impressive drive by Love and one that was legendary given the circumstances. But it shouldn't have decided the championship in a year where Zilisch was leagues better than the competition. All signs point to NASCAR making major changes to its championship format next season, making Zilisch's heartbreaking loss on Saturday likely the final indictment of a playoff format that never fit the style of NASCAR racing. Connor Zilisch not upset about championship result "I’m still so proud of my team, what we’ve accomplished this year," Zilisch said in a post-race news conference. "We have nothing to hang our heads about. We were the best car for two-thirds of the year. We dominated until these last three races. "We’ll keep our heads high. We are walking home with more than three times as many trophies as anybody else. We won the most races, had the most top 10s, top 5s, poles. There’s no reason we should be upset because of this outcome." Zilisch and the No. 88 team may not be upset — at least not publicly — about losing the title, but their emotions don't change the fact that Zilisch was far and away the best driver in Xfinity Series competition this season. That's not to take anything away from Love and the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing group, who are deserving champions. They won the title by the rules and did so with an impressive surge in the closing laps of the season. But in a year where Zilisch decimated the field as badly as he did, seeing a different driver walk away with the championship trophy isn't the best look for NASCAR and its championship format. "To be quite honest, at the end of the day he (Zilisch) won, I don’t know how many, 11 races, 12, something like that," said Danny Stockman, Love's crew chief. "But when it mattered tonight, it did not happen. He won a lot of races, but he’s not an Xfinity Series champion." Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.
The 'NFL Passing YPG leaders' quiz
The Dallas Cowboys offense has been one of the most explosive units in the NFL this season, but they struggled in their 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos in 8. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for just 188 yards – his fewest since Week 1 against Philadelphia – finishing without a touchdown and two interceptions just one week after dicing up the Washington Commanders. The good news for the inconsistent Cowboys is that they’re 2-0-1 following a loss this season and their Week 9 opponent is the 2-5 Arizona Cardinals on "Monday Night Football." They’ll also be tasked with stopping Jacoby Brissett rather than Kyler Murray, who is recovering from a foot sprain and won’t start for Arizona but could get some action according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. Which brings us to today’s quiz. Prescott has been mostly brilliant for the Cowboys this season, throwing 16 touchdowns to five interceptions and 258.8 yards per game. He’s also one of 37 NFL players to average at least 230 passing yards per game through their career. With that being said, how many of those players can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Steelers' Undrafted Free Agent Rookie Could Help Influence 2026 First-Round Decision
Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten quality quarterback play in 2025 with Aaron Rodgers, they still need to search for a future face of the franchise. Rodgers is almost 42 years old and close to retirement. Even if he does play another season, it will be good to have a first-round pick behind him to learn and develop in a way that even most coaches can't do. If Pittsburgh has to trade up to get a quality option, the front office has to stop delaying the inevitable and take a shot at a young gun. Just because Ke'Shawn Williams is an undrafted rookie for the Steelers, that doesn't mean that he can't help with a scouting report. After his final year in college, he worked with recent transfer Fernando Mendoza during offseason training, as well as Williams' Pro Day. He spoke with reporter Brian Batko about what he has seen in the Indiana Hoosiers' star. "It’s just his ability to do everything," Williams said. "He can make the throws, he’s very mobile, he has a lot of experience, very smart leader, a good person — all the intangible things you want out of a quarterback, somebody to come in and potentially lead your group...He’s got my vote, for sure." After transferring from the California Golden Bears to Indiana, Mendoza has lit the college world on fire. He currently leads the FBS in touchdown passes through eight games, and it's not like Indiana has had an easy schedule either. He has gone up against two Top 10 teams in the country and led the Hoosiers to victories in both contests, including a road upset against the Oregon Ducks. Indiana is now the #2 team in the country, only behind conference rival Ohio State Buckeyes. If Mendoza and the Hoosiers keep this up, the two teams will face off in the Big 10 conference championship game, where the winner will have the top seed in the College Football Playoffs and get a first-round bye, while the loser would have to play in the first round. This amazing 2025 performance has put the 22-year-old junior near the top of the quarterback rankings of the 2026 draft class. He is currently favored to win the Heisman Trophy as well. Depending on how he does in this last month of football and in the playoffs, he may even be out of the Steelers' reach, as he could easily be the first overall pick. Even if he falls outside the Top 5, it may be worth it for the Steelers to make a trade to get him. Steelers Are Likely Underwhelmed By Everyone Else It goes without saying that outside of Mendoza, most draft-eligible quarterbacks have completely bottomed out in the 2025 season. It's so bad that the Steelers may consider skipping out on drafting a quarterback in 2026 if they can't land Mendoza. If that is the case, the price to trade up in the 2026 NFL draft may rise up as well. Of course, the Steelers overall have not played great football, and there is a realistic chance that they end up drafting higher than they usually do. Obviously, nobody in that organization has any desire to tank, but a sub-par season for Pittsburgh standards could put them in a better position to go and get their guy. What is there to lose at this point? Despite Williams' scouting report on Mendoza, it's not set in stone that General Manager Omar Khan will do everything he can to try and draft the Indiana star. However, that inside information will still be helpful in the long run, especially Khan believes his testimony lines up with the tape at all. The undrafted receiver is not the deciding vote, but he could give a little nudge to help sway the Steelers towards selecting him.
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald gives unwelcome injury update for two starters on defense
Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks routed the Washington Commanders on “Sunday Night Football” by a score of 38-14. The Seahawks paid a price for their efforts, however, losing two key players on defense to injury. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV suffered a knee injury and cornerback Josh Jobe suffered a concussion. Speaking after the game, head coach Mike Macdonald gave updates on Jones IV and Jobe, with both likely to miss next week's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. “So, Ernest has a bit of a knee [injury],” Macdonald said to the media after the win on Sunday. “We'll figure it out. I don't know. It's not season-ending, but we'll see how it goes. Who was the other one? Josh? Yeah, so, concussion. He's in the protocol, so we'll see how that goes too.” [Macdonalded added on if Jones will possibly miss multiple games,] “Yeah, there's a chance. I'll give you a timetable immediately. [laughs]. We'll see.” The Seahawks are in a tough predicament ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline Losing two of their top starters on defense, the Seahawks could make a move to add depth to their linebacker core and secondary with the trade deadline looming. The Seahawks are tied with the Los Angeles Rams (6-2) for the lead in the NFC West, with the San Francisco 49ers (6-3) lurking just behind them, so two key injuries are particularly concerning. Linebacker Chazz Surratt sits behind Jones IV on the depth chart and would be an immediate option to plug in his absence, but he has done little to impress this season, having 10 total tackles, three solo tackles and no sacks through eight games. The Philadelphia Eagles snatched up two of the top corners on the market in Michael Carter II from the New York Jets and Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens, but the Seahawks could look to the Saints and trade for Alontae Taylor, who would upgrade their secondary. Taylor has posted 44 total tackles, 29 solo tackles and four pass defenses so far this season. Second-year cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett would be the next man up to play in place of Jobe. He's posted nine tackles (seven solo) this season. NFL Insider Dan Graziano identified cornerback as a position of need heading into the trade deadline even before the Jobe injury, so an upgrade could be in order ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
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