NASCAR driver Kyle Busch entered Sunday’s Cup Series race looking for his first win of the season. He had the pole position at the start but struggled with a problematic car throughout the race, to the point that it broke. The No. 18 team asked Busch what happened, and he responded with the perfect line.
“I don’t know, 2020,” Busch said to his team when asked about the issues. He had nearly slammed into the wall after losing control of his Toyota Camry but managed to prevent a collision with some perfectly-timed maneuvers and drift around the corner. Busch also drew attention by saying, “it’s f—ing broke. The car is f—ing broke.” He dropped down near the rear of the field while his pit crew raced to figure out what happened.
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The No. 18 team ultimately determined that Busch’s car needed a new shock. They waited for the caution flag and then brought him into the pits to make some much-needed changes. The change helped for a few laps, but the issues continued as the race neared its conclusion.
The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi monitored Busch’s radio and provided updates as the race continued. He revealed that the defending 2019 Cup Series champion had even more issues, telling his team, “fix the f—ing thing!” He also said that the pit crew created a tire rub and created a lot of tire smoke.
While Busch’s brother, Kurt, maintained his spot near the front of the field, Busch continued to struggle. He dropped to 24th with fewer than 10 laps remaining, sitting at the rear of the lead lap. The only drivers behind Busch were Matt Kenseth — who crashed near the end of the race — and those multiple laps behind. The defending 2019 champion finished the race 23rd overall, a far cry from the expected victory.
Busch has previously spoken about the lack of practice laps or qualifying at events since NASCAR returned from a 10-week postponement. He mentioned that the No. 18 team has had to figure out the car setup on the fly each week and during every race. This has resulted in a considerable lack of success.
Sunday’s race was the latest example as Busch struggled to keep his car on the track. The tire rub created issues, as did the broken shock and multiple other problems. While Busch was unhappy with the result of the Quaker State 400, he did create an iconic line by blaming his issues on 2020.
