Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch defend NASCAR throwback weekend at Darlington amid heavy criticism

When it comes to NASCAR throwback weekend, many drivers couldn’t care less. Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe aren’t among them. Instead, the RCR and JGR drivers are advocating for the special race weekend as others criticize it.

Ten years of throwback weekend. The Goodyear 400 now hosts the Darlington throwback race. Has that changed some of the ambiance around the paint schemes and festivities? Eh. Has the event gotten stale? I’d argue it isn’t.

Teams get to make these throwback schemes, get excited about them, and promote them. Drivers and teams from the past are honored for a weekend. Goodyear even breaks out special tires for the event each season.

So, why do drivers like Chase Elliott not like it? Chase Briscoe had this to say about Darlington’s throwback race.

“For me, it’s something that I love about this weekend,” Briscoe said at Darlington, via Claire B Lang. “Every time you come here, there’s that old-school feel, but then when you walk in the garage, you see paint schemes and stuff. It’s a cool part of the whole weekend.

“Yeah, I don’t have a throwback scheme this weekend. This is the first time I’ve never ran one, but I don’t feel like this weekend has lost its luster. I think the fans still love the paint schemes that are here, and just anytime you come to Darlington, it’s kind of got an old school throwback feel whether we’re (at) a throwback weekend or not.”

Chase Briscoe wasn’t alone. Kyle Busch also defended the throwback concept. Even if he doesn’t run one, like ever.

Kyle Busch defends throwback weekend ‘for the people’

Now, Kyle Busch’s sponsor, Morgan & Morgan, might appreciate this quote from the driver. He was also asked about throwback weekend. Why are people so ready to throw out this decade-long tradition?

This year, it might mean a little more to Busch as William Sawalich is running a throwback to his old NOS Energy Xfinity Series car. It definitely doesn’t hurt.

“Well, it took 10 years for somebody to finally do a Kyle Busch one,” Busch told the media, via Dalton Hopkins of Frontstretch. “Thanks to William and the team on the Xfinity side. That’s pretty cool, to finally have one. You know, when I look at fan reception, I feel like the fans really love it, and even if some of the drivers may think it’s overblown or whatever, it’s not for us.

“It’s for the people that are in the grandstands and for their pure joy in just seeing some of the older, cool schemes that come back to life in this day and age. So, if they’re all for it – trust me, I hear it all the time. I think I’ve had, in ten years, I might have had two or three throwbacks. Trust me, I hear it all the time that I don’t do throwbacks, and that’s not on me. That’s just the partners that we’re with.”

Are Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe right? I think they are. It is for the fans, ultimately. And as far as I can tell, the fans still love the throwbacks.