Kyle Busch Says Every NASCAR Race Ends The Same Way: ‘It’s Literally Just A Crash Fest’

Kyle Busch isn’t sugarcoating what NASCAR racing has become.

“In this world, in this day and age, nothing is going normal at the end of these races. It’s literally just a crash fest now.”

It’s the Thursday after the Daytona 500, and while his focus has already shifted to the second race of the 2025 NASCAR season in Atlanta, the wreckage of last Sunday is still fresh in his mind.

A two-time Cup Series champion and lifelong racer, Busch has seen his fair share of chaos—but this year’s opener wasn’t just chaotic, it was inevitable. A demolition derby disguised as strategy. He worked his way up to second on the inside, perfectly positioned to take the lead after his final pit stop. Then, on Lap 192, the race did what races do these days. The wreck came. A chain reaction explosion of cars, leaving Busch watching as William Byron picked his way through the carnage to take the checkered flag.

His No. 8 Zone Chevrolet, backed by Richard Childress Racing, was right in the mix. Another near-miss. Another finish dictated by a pile-up.

The desert rat from Las Vegas has plenty to say about how it all went down. Busch just ran his 20th Daytona 500, still chasing that elusive win on NASCAR’s biggest stage. And if you know anything about him, you know he’s not holding back. He’s got some things to say about NASCAR’s wreck-filled finishes—and he’s saying them.

I caught up with Busch to break down what really happened on Lap 192, why late-race chaos feels like the new normal, and where he goes from here.

We also got into his partnership with Zone, a nicotine pouch brand built on performance and attitude, and his recent trip to the desert with the Subpar Golf crew on YouTube. Let’s just say, it turned into one hell of an afternoon.

“It’s literally just a crash fest.”

Brandon Wenerd: How are you?

Kyle Busch: I’m doing good, man. How’s it going?

It’s been five days since the Daytona 500. How you feeling?

No, I’m good. You know, it was obviously another year of another missed opportunity. Being in the right place at the right time, up front, leading the pack—second on the inside there—having a shot after the final pit stop, having that track position. But, man, nothing goes normal at the end of these races anymore. It’s literally just a crash fest. It’s all about luck and surviving the mess. That’s exactly how William Byron did it.

A lot of people have overanalyzed what actually happened. What do you think?

Yeah, I mean, obviously Logano had a really fast car. He tried to get to the middle, Stenhouse blocked, got bumped, had to catch it, went up the track, then came back down to protect his spot. If I’m in Logano’s spot, I’m thinking, “Okay, he doesn’t want me going through the middle, so I need to sit tight, push, and keep this row moving forward.” Instead, he forced his way up the middle, and that’s what caused the wreck. You can place blame on both guys, but Logano was the instigator.

A lot of people are blaming Stenhouse. Do you think that’s fair?

Not in this instance. He gets a bad rap because if there’s a speedway crash, he’s usually around it. But here? He was getting bullied. He was just trying to hold his position. There were 15 laps to go. It’s time to get going, but not full-send mode yet. If that was five to go, okay, it’s a racing incident. But Logano said if he doesn’t make that move, he doesn’t win the race? I highly disagree. There was always going to be a wreck between 15 to go and five to go anyway.

“You’ve Got a Brake Pedal Too”

You mentioned something earlier about how you handled a similar situation differently. What happened there?

Yeah, earlier in the race, I was behind Logano, had a run on him, pulled down the middle to pass, and he blocked. I lifted, let him back in, and we kept going. That’s how you race. You’ve got a brake pedal too.

Looking Ahead: “We Were So Close Last Year”

Moving past Daytona, how are you feeling about the season?

Feeling good. Another year at RCR with the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. We’ve got some great partners. Last year, we were so close so many times. Now, we’re heading into Atlanta, where we had that crazy close finish—the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history. I was third by, like, what? Six, seven inches? It was .007 seconds. Just too damn close. We’re coming back this weekend, so maybe we can get it right this time.

Off the Track: Thrashing in the Desert with Zone

Let’s talk about something off the track—your work with Zone and that wild desert shoot. What was that like?

Man, that was a blast. We went out to the desert with the GOLF Subpar guys. They were hitting out of a sand trap, and I pulled up like, “Get in, let’s go.” Took them on some sand car rides. They were not ready.

How’d they handle it?

Not well. They were puking in the corner afterwards. Apparently, they had a little too much fun the night before—tequila, tacos, all that. Turns out, that’s not a great combo for off-roading with me behind the wheel.

The Future of Desert Racing?

You’ve been around desert racing culture for a while. Ever thought about competing in something like the Mint 400 or Baja 1000?

Maybe the Mint 400, but Baja? That gets sketchy. Booby traps, wild terrain—it’s next level. I grew up in Vegas, and my dad worked with a lot of those desert racing guys. So I’ve always respected it. I didn’t grow up doing off-roading—I was too busy racing on asphalt or playing baseball. But once I got into NASCAR and settled in, I started getting into sand cars, side-by-sides, all that. We’d go out to the desert a couple times a year—Thanksgiving, New Year’s—but it gets real crowded. I like to go when it’s less crazy, get some speed, jump some dunes. Maybe one day I’ll race something out there, but for now, I’m sticking to stock cars.

Final Thoughts

Any final thoughts before we wrap up?

Just a big thanks to the fans and everyone supporting us. Stay tuned—there’s more cool stuff coming with Zone. And of course, tune in this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll be celebrating soon.