Richard Childress gives Kyle Busch a blunt message ahead of Daytona 500

Richard Childress had a simple message for driver Kyle Busch after Busch won the pole for the Daytona 500 on Wednesday evening. 

"Kyle, we got to get this 500."

Childress, 80, has been a car owner in the NASCAR Cup Series for over 50 years and has won the Daytona 500 three times. The most famous of those victories came in 1998, when Dale Earnhardt finally won NASCAR's biggest race after 20 years of trying. 

2026 will be Busch's 21st year of trying to win the biggest prize in stock car racing. No driver has ever won the "Great American Race" after their 20th start, and Dale Jarrett was the last driver to win the 500 from the pole in 2000.

"Yeah, it’s a box we got to check," Busch said. "Here we are. This is an opportunity to be able to do that. I’ve come down here a lot of years. I think I finished in about every position possible."

Busch himself is on a 93-race winless streak and has missed NASCAR's postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career. 

Jim Pohlman already working wonders for Kyle Busch

There are plenty of cards stacked against the two-time Cup Series champion. But there's also an ace in the deck in new crew chief Jim Pohlman, who built a No. 8 Chevrolet that's the fastest car in Daytona Beach this week. 

"I think it’s a huge boost," Busch said of Pohlman's addition to the No. 8 team. "Bringing Jim on board and having his passion and determination of what he’s done all off-season long, leading his group of guys, having them all believing in him and putting our faith in what he’s got to do for our team and being able to give us what we need to go out there to succeed."

Busch has been in a position to win the Daytona 500 before. On Sunday afternoon, he'll start the race with the same view he hopes to finish it with. 

"Obviously, the real stuff happens on Sunday," Busch said.

Indeed, it doesn't get anymore real than Daytona.

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.