Kyle Busch suffered sprained wrist in Indianapolis crash, would have missed race without break

This week at Richmond, Kyle Busch has been spotted with a wrapped-up wrist. That stems from a wreck at Indianapolis before the scheduled NASCAR break. Had it not been for the two weeks off for the Olympics, Busch would have had to skip a race or two.

Kyle Busch has not had the season anyone imagined that he would in 2024. After three wins a year ago with Richard Childress, this season has been winless and even worse than that. The last two months have been hell as far as Busch is concerned.

Good thing NASCAR had two weeks off. If not, a late wreck at Indianapolis would have sidelined Busch for a week. Rowdy confirmed today at Richmond that he sprained his wrist at Indy.

Here is Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports confirming the news.

Kyle Busch's left wrist was wrapped. He said he sprained it in the Indy crash and wouldn't have been able to race if there was a race the following week. He said he doesn't have a standby driver for Richmond.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 10, 2024

“These great Next Gen race cars snap the wheel and snap your wrist,” Busch said when asked how it happened, via Pockrass.

Then he explained how the two-week break helped him.

“Without two weeks off I would not have been able to race, I’m pretty good now.”

Kyle Busch also confirmed that nothing was broken and he did not need surgery. Busch does not have a backup driver on hand. So, he must feel ready to race.

This season has gone from bad to worse for Busch. His highlight of the season is either his P3 finish at Atlanta in that wild three-wide ending. It might also be his pole award and P4 finish at Dover. Other than that, nothing to really write home about if you are Busch and the No. 8 team.

Speaking of, Busch was the first driver out in Group A of qualifying. He barely missed out on a chance to qualify for the pole. Austin Dillon, his teammate, made the cut for the final round.

Kyle Busch will swing for the fences

At this point in the season, if there is going to be a playoff run for Kyle Busch, it is a must-win situation. Unfortunately, it looks like Daytona will be the only place he can get that win given how poorly he has performed everywhere else this year.

Sure, he can theoretically win at any of the remaining four tracks before the postseason. Richmond, Michigan, Daytona, Darlington. However, given what we know, it appears that Daytona is the best bet and that isn’t any kind of bet I would make.

This week could be especially painful if his teammate, who has had an even worse season than Busch, ends up with a top car while Busch struggles. People say that Busch is safe to return to RCR in 2025, but with how this season has gone, I think options are more open than they seem.

Kyle Busch has to swing for the fences. He can’t points race, of course, there aren’t enough points in the season to help him make the cutline. Only a win is going to get Busch to the playoffs, and it might slip away in the next few weeks.