NASCAR: New territory for Kyle Busch at Phoenix
By Asher Fair
Kyle Busch competing in a NASCAR Cup Series season finale without a shot at winning the title is new territory, territory he has never experienced as a former champion.
No NASCAR Cup Series driver has competed in each of the first six Championship 4 rounds since the current playoff format was introduced back in 2014. But two drivers competed in five of the first six.
One of those two drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, competed in the Championship 4 for the fifth consecutive year last year. Entering 2020, no other driver had ever been to the winner-take-all championship round more than three years in a row.
The other driver, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, failed to qualify for this year’s Championship 4 for the first time since 2016.
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Busch also failed to qualify.
Along with Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, the two-time and defending champion was eliminated after the round of 12.
This elimination marked the earliest elimination of the playoff era for a reigning champion and ended his streak of appearances in the Championship 4 at five seasons.
The 35-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native has not been in a season finale without a chance to win a championship since 2014, his 10th season as a full-time competitor in the sport, and as a former champion, he has never been in a Championship 4 without a chance to win a title.
Back in 2014, he had never won a championship, and he had 30 victories to his name over 10 seasons. Now, he is a two-time champion whose 57 wins rank 10th on the all-time wins list.
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The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season finale is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this afternoon. The four drivers who are set to compete for this year’s title are Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott after Harvick, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch and were eliminated following the round of 8.