NASCAR great casts 'confidence-breaking' Kyle Busch verdict

Former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton has suggested that two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is going through a 'confidence-breaking' period.

Burton ran in 695 Cup Series races during his career and was named one of NASCAR's 75 greatest drivers back in 2023.

Of course, Busch is also on that list, but in recent years, the 40-year-old has struggled to find his way into victory lane, with his last win having come at Gateway back in 2023.

2025 has also seen Busch achieve mixed results so far, and Burton picked the No. 8 driver as one to keep an eye on for the remainder of the year on the NASCAR Inside the Race podcast.

Speaking after the race at Nashville and ahead of the race at Michigan, asked why he was focused on Busch as someone to watch, Burton said: “I’m focused on him for multiple reasons.”

“Number one, he just had a contract extension. Number two, we’ve talked about Denny Hamlin and his speed that he still has at this time in his career, and that’s confidence-building.

“I’ve been there, I’ve done this, so I can put myself in Kyle Busch’s shoes. He hasn’t exhibited that speed, and we can talk about why, teams, whatever, but the truth of the matter is, he hasn’t had the success over the last three or four years that we’re accustomed to seeing from Kyle Busch.

“I don’t care who you are, that is confidence-breaking.”

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Kyle Busch trying to take the fight to established teams at RCR

So far in 2025, Busch's best finish was a fifth-place at the Circuit of the Americas back in March, on a day that he was well in contention for the victory until his tires went off very late in the race.

There have also been more difficult results, however, although his P12 at Nashville last weekend saw him move into the top 16 in the Cup Series standings and above the playoff cut-off line. A position that was further strengthened by a P8 at Michigan on Sunday.

After recently agreeing to an extension with RCR, Burton says Busch is trying to take the fight to the more established teams, but that doing so must be emotionally draining for the two-time champion.

"Kyle Busch is trying to take RCR to the fight to Joe Gibbs Racing, take the fight to Penske, take the fight to Hendrick, and it’s hard, it’s difficult," Burton added.

“And he’s doing it in a way that instead of fighting for a championship, at the moment, he’s fighting to see if he can contend for a championship.

“Emotionally, that’s draining, emotionally, that’s difficult. This is a brutal sport. This sport, you love it and at the same time it’ll rip your heart out.”

“We’re watching Kyle Busch try to take RCR (and) try to take himself back to where they both have been and with the pressure of just making the playoffs.

Burton concluded: "Kyle Busch, to me, and that story of RCR, that’s going to be compelling through these summer months.”

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