As the excitement builds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), all eyes are on hometown favorite Kyle Busch as he prepares for the upcoming Pennzoil 400. Having grown up watching the track take shape, Busch has a deep connection to LVMS, making a potential victory here all the more meaningful—especially as he battles a 61-race winless streak.
Recent winners of the Pennzoil 400, such as Joey Logano and Kyle Larson, have set a high bar, but this year, LVMS officials introduced a lighthearted twist to predict the winner. In partnership with Maverick Helicopters, they conducted an unusual experiment: dropping golf balls, each marked with a Cup Series driver’s number, from a helicopter. After 14 suspenseful minutes, the ball with the number 8—Busch’s car number—landed closest to the target. Busch took to Instagram with a confident six-word response: “The golf ball knows what’s up.”
Busch’s last victory at LVMS came in 2009 during the Shelby 427, when he overcame mechanical issues plaguing his competitors. Overcome with emotion, he kissed the track’s asphalt, later admitting that the win felt as big as a Daytona 500 victory.
However, the road back to victory has been anything but easy. Since 2020, Busch’s performance has declined, with only seven wins in the past five years. Three major factors have contributed to this slump: NASCAR’s reduced practice time due to the pandemic, the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022, and the so-called ‘Kyle Busch Rule,’ which limits veteran drivers from competing in lower-tier series. Busch himself has admitted that these changes disrupted his rhythm, saying, “Maybe I’m a creature of habit, and I just like being out there.”
As race day nears, the big question remains: Can Kyle Busch break his losing streak and take home a victory at his home track? Fans, officials, and even a lucky golf ball seem to believe it’s possible.
