The five NASCAR Cup Series drivers most in need of the Olympic break

After Sunday's Brickyard 400, the NASCAR Cup Series has two weekends off until returning to action at the Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11. Some drivers will need the rest more than others, however. Here are the five drivers most in need of their two-week vacation. 

Kyle Busch

Every week, Busch's season seems to take another turn for the worse. A crash on Sunday netted Busch his ninth finish outside of the top-10 in the last 10 races, and with four races remaining in the regular-season, he'll need a win to make the playoffs. Busch is easily on pace for the worst season career, and the two-week break could be what he needs to find some magic. 

William Byron

It's not time for Byron to panic — after all, he's won thrice so far in 2024 and is still considered a title favorite — but a summer slump has netted Byron just three top-10's over the last eight races. The No. 24 team is still a threat to win heading into every race, but it's time for them to find the speed that they had at the beginning of the season. 

Ross Chastain

Chastain's 2022 run to the Championship Four hardly seems real at the moment. The Alva, Florida native sits just seven points above the playoff cut line after Indy, and hasn't finished inside the top-10 since New Hampshire on June 23. If there's any speed to be found at Trackhouse Racing, it's time to put it under the hood of the No. 1 car. 

Chris Buescher

Buescher came literally as close as he possibly could to winning at Kansas in May, and that heartbreaking loss could be the difference in his 2024 fate. Now just 17 points above the cut line after a horrendous weekend in Indianapolis, Buescher needs to hope that he can repeat his winning performances at Richmond and Michigan from a season ago, or he may find himself out of the postseason picture. 

Harrison Burton

If there's a driver in the garage area most in need of a hug, it's Burton. Not only does he currently not have a NASCAR ride for 2025, but he dropped to last in points among full-time Cup Series drivers after a 36th-place effort on Sunday. The entirety of Burton's Cup career has been a struggle, but if he wants to be employed next season, he needs to be fresh for the final 14 races of 2024.