Kyle Busch finished second in the August 24 NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona behind Harrison Burton. Moments after the race, the Richard Childress Racing driver was asked about strategy on that final lap around the 2.5-mile superspeedway and he responded, saying there was no way to win outside of wrecking the No. 21 car.
Not everyone saw it that way.
Some in the Chevrolet camp were reportedly unhappy not for anything done by the driver of the No. 8 Chevy, but for how Parker Retzlaff, who was driving the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, pushed Burton’s Ford to the front and ultimately the win.
In addition to the bowtie connection, Beard and Jordan Anderson Racing, where the 21-year-old competes full-time in the Xfinity Series, are in alliances with RCR.
Kyle Busch said Parker Retzlaff not working with him in the final laps at Daytona doesn’t require a conversation between Retzlaff and him for a simple reason — Retzlaff wasn’t part of the Chevy key partner meeting to talk about how to race Daytona.
Busch addressed the situation during his August 31 Darlington media availability when questioned if Retzlaff owed him an explanation or an apology.
“Not me, but I don’t really know him all that well,” Busch said. “I don’t know what sort of business relationships there are behind the scenes. Once upon a time, when I owned a Truck Series team, we had other teams that we helped and we supported and we gave parts and pieces and resources and different things to. I don’t know how all that stems for his relations with Beard behind the scenes.
“Yeah, not to me, he doesn’t owe me anything.”
Kyle Busch Reveals Retzlaff Not in Key Partner Meetings
Parker Retzlaff was making his second career Cup Series start and first at Daytona. Kyle Busch was racing for his 64th career win and more importantly, his first trip to Victory Lane in 2024, which would have locked him into the playoffs and extended his record streak of winning at least one race a year for 20 consecutive seasons.
It didn’t happen.
To his credit, Busch refused to blame the young driver. Despite those existing alliances, the future Hall of Famer told reporters he wasn’t expecting any help from Retzlaff in the first place.
“We have our Chevrolet team meetings and key partner meetings before the race and he’s not in those,” Busch revealed. “So if you’re not in one of those, you should not be relied upon as a key partner to need to push and know the game that needs to be played. That’s how I look at it.”
Kyle Busch Candid in Discussing End of Daytona Race
Kyle Busch has never been one to sugarcoat what’s on his mind. His remarks on Retzlaff not being part of the key partner meetings and not expecting any help from him are the second time he’s been candid with the media about the finish of the Daytona race.
The first time came in his post-race interview on NBC when asked what he could have done differently on that final lap to win the race.
“Besides just flat out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do.”
Heartbreak for @KyleBusch after leading at the white flag to come just short of the victory he needed to make the playoffs and continue his consecutive season win streak.
“Once they got in front with as little energy as there was with the lack of cars that there were, it was hard to make anything happen from Turn 4 to start-finish,” he said. “Besides just flat-out wrecking him, there was nothing else I could do.”
Busch telling it like it is. That’s what he does — no matter who might not like what he has to say.
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Kyle Busch Addresses Parker Retzlaff Criticism After Controversy at Daytona