Kyle Busch was not thrilled after his NASCAR Cup Series qualifying run on Saturday at Martinsville.
The driver of the No. 8 posted a 34th-place run in single-car qualifying for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at the Martinsville Speedway. It is the lowest starting spot the two-time Cup Series champion has recorded this season.
Following the tough qualifying run, Busch addressed the media.
Kyle Busch on qualifying lap: ‘Sideways’
NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck noted on X that Busch spoke to reporters for five minutes after qualifying. However, the 40-year-old did not have much to say about his qualifying run.
When asked by Gluck if Busch’s performance in qualifying was a speed issue, the Richard Childress Racing driver clarified.
“Sideways. Undriveable, loose,” Busch said.
In a follow-up question on whether or not there is a fix that can be made, Busch made it known he is unsure.
“No telling,” Busch said.
During the media scrum, Gluck noted that there has not been a caution in stage one all season.
When asked if an early caution would benefit Busch, the 63-time Cup Series winner believes it would have to come soon in order to maintain his tires.
“I need a caution between lap 30 and 40 because my tires will be smoked by then,” Busch said.
Qualifying at Martinsville was a struggle for RCR as a whole. Busch’s teammates, Austin Dillon and Austin Hill, qualified 30th and 37th, respectively.
Kyle Busch’s 2026 struggles carry over at Martinsville
Busch’s qualifying woes at Martinsville sum up how the season has gone so far for the Las Vegas native.
Busch, who was the winningest driver in the Cup Series through the 2010s, sits 23rd in the Cup Series points standings after six races. He has failed to finish top 10 this season, with his best finish being 12th at Circuit of The Americas.
The season started out promising for “Rowdy” as he qualified on the pole for the Daytona 500. Although he led laps in the 200-lap race, Busch wound up finishing 15th.
At EchoPark Speedway, Busch suffered a DNF after a crash on the backstretch took him out of contention. Busch posted a 34th-place finish.
At Circuit of The Americas, Busch wheeled the No. 8 Chevrolet to a 12th-place finish despite starting the race from 30th.
Phoenix was a day of struggle for Busch. However, despite having three separate tire issues in the 312-lap race, the former Cup champion bounced back to finish 17th.
At Las Vegas, Busch failed to show speed at his home track. He started the race 24th and ended with a 28th-place finish.
Busch qualified eighth in last week’s Cup Series race at Darlington, his second-best start of the campaign. Yet, he did not show much speed throughout the race, and ended with a 21st-place finish.
Currently 23rd in the points standings, Busch is 33 points below the cut line to make the Chase. Amid his fourth season with RCR, Busch has failed to make the NASCAR postseason the last two years.
In his first season with RCR in 2023, Busch secured three wins and made the playoffs. However, he has failed to win since, with his latest victory coming at St. Louis in June 2023.
NASCAR: Kyle Busch Tight-Lipped After Martinsville Qualifying