Why were Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Erik Jones forced to start the Coca-Cola 600 from the rear?
As Kyle Busch looks to end his 69-race winless drought, the Richard Childress Racing driver was slapped with a penalty that forced him to start the Coca-Cola 600 at the back of the field. Ross Chastain and Erik Jones also joined him at the rear due to pre-race penalties handed out by NASCAR.
During Saturday's practice, Busch incurred a penalty after his No.8 chevy was found with unapproved adjustments. The infraction stemmed from a steering issue that left him unable to log a single practice lap, forcing his team to make repairs that ultimately violated NASCAR's rules.
Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones also suffered the same fate after his No.43 Toyota was found with a technical infraction. Chastain, meanwhile, crashed out in practice and failed to qualify as he opted for a backup car that sent him behind Busch and Jones in the starting line-up.
Kyle Busch qualified 24th on the grid, while Jones slotted in further back at 27th. Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe claimed pole position. Notably, Busch remains the last JGR driver to win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, back in 2018, when he started in pole and led an impressive 377 of 400 laps.
That being said, with a mid-season slump looming over his shoulders, the 40-year-old has his task cut out as he looks to bounce back at the 600-miler. Adding to the pressure, he enters Charlotte tied with Josh Berry for the final playoff spot, making it a crucial round to gain valuable points.
Kyle Busch dismisses importance of qualifying spot for the Coca-Cola 600
On Saturday, May 24, Kyle Busch mentioned that winning the Coca-Cola 600 comes down to finding pace at night time, as 'that's when the money's paid'. He brushed off the importance of qualifying and explained that the 400-lap event provides plenty of time to work through the field.
Reflecting upon the same, Busch spoke to the media and said,
"No, it doesn't. It's a longer race, so you have more time from sunlight to nighttime, and typically you don't really worry about how your car is until you get to the nighttime because that's when the money's paid, so you want to be fast at that time of the day," he said via Speedway Digest.
"There are so many little details that you can find (on the car). If you find 100 small, tiny details, then that's all going to add up. The guys at the shop have been doing a good job working on all of that, whether it's car build or little things in the setups," Busch added.
On the same day, Kyle Busch announced a contract extention with RCR to stay with the team for yet another season. The move put to bed rumours of his retirement, as the two-time Cup champion shared a powerful message honouring the partnership.