కెవిన్ హార్విక్: NASCAR యొక్క డేటోనా 500 ఫీల్డ్‌కు వేగవంతమైన కైల్ బుష్ ‘ప్రమాదకరం’

Kyle Busch needed a hot start to the season. 

Busch finished the 2025 season winless, down in 21st place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, ensuring a second straight year without qualifying for the playoffs. The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driver is riding a 93-race winless streak, which he could snap with his first Daytona 500 checkered flag.

But it’s a new season with a new postseason format with the return of the Chase, and Busch quickly showed those struggles might be behind him, as he started by earning pole position Wednesday for the Daytona 500. 

“I’m happy for Kyle,” FOX Sports’ Kevin Harvick said during Thursday’s live edition of “Harvick’s Happy Hour” at Daytona International Speedway. “I think that Kyle Busch being competitive and winning races is really important to our sport. But I’m really happy for Richard Childress. Richard Childress is somebody who has meant so much to this sport… He just has such a legacy in this sport. And I know how hard he works to make those cars fast.”

Richard Childress Racing, Harvick said, had been struggling with speed last season. But that wasn’t the only issue. Busch had to clean up a lot. 

“You have to not spin out, you have to not wreck, and when that wasn’t happening, they were making mistakes on pit road. So they have a lot to clean up. But what happens is, you get in those positions where you’re somewhat desperate. … So I think he just has to take a deep breath.”

Busch has had to adapt to the new age of racing where you can’t “man-handle” the cars as Harvick put it, and you “have to have that finesse.” In the first qualifications of the 2026 season, he’s showing strides, edging out Chase Briscoe for P1. 

[NASCAR: 4 Takeaways From Daytona 500 Qualifying]

“ఇది కైల్ సౌకర్యవంతంగా ఉండగలదని మరియు ఆ కారు నుండి అతను కోరుకున్నది పొందాలని నేను భావిస్తున్నాను” అని హార్విక్ చెప్పాడు. “కానీ వారు కలిగి ఉండవలసిన మొదటి విషయం వేగం. సరే, ఏమి ఊహించండి? వారు డేటోనా 500 వద్ద వేగంతో కనిపించారు. మరియు అది మిగిలిన ఫీల్డ్‌కు ప్రమాదకరమని నేను భావిస్తున్నాను.”

“ఇది కైల్ బుష్‌కి కాంట్రాక్ట్ సంవత్సరం, మరియు అతను దానిని ఇంకా పూర్తి చేయగలడని నేను నమ్ముతున్నాను.”

ఆ విషయాన్ని ఆయన బుధవారం తన ప్రత్యర్థులకు గుర్తు చేశారు.