Kyle Busch is without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019, and fellow former Joe Gibbs Racing star Carl Edwards is surprised by the struggles of his former teammate

Carl Edwards, a NASCAR legend in his own right, has been caught off guard since returning from his hiatus by Kyle Busch’s ongoing difficulties in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Busch is currently caught in a winless rut, marking 74 races without a victory following a 20th-place finish at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. He recently admitted feeling “like a broken record” and confessed to a rookie error as he showed his true colors when among 12 stars penalized at a recent race.

Edwards reflects on a stark contrast from the formidable performances he witnessed from Busch, his one-time teammate until he walked away from the sport after accusing NASCAR of manipulating a race that cost him the 2016 championship title.

At age 40, Busch, a veteran and two-time Cup Series champion, languishes at 19th in the series standings, a shadow of the “stone-cold killer” reputation he once held among competitors. Edwards, who boasts 28 career victories in the Cup Series, is now part of Amazon Prime Video’s team and at The Great American Getaway 400 in Pocono he expressed his surprise at Busch’s unexpected slump.

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Edwards reminisced, saying: “Very strange for me to come back to this sport after being gone so long and to see Kyle Busch struggling, right?

“In my time in this sport, Kyle Busch, literally, was the guy to beat. I got to be his teammate for a while, got to see inside a little bit of how Kyle Busch operates

“He is a stone-cold killer on the race track. This guy is amazing. So to be able to handle this part of his career the way he is, I think it shows a maturation and I’m just hoping he can come out on the other side of this and do it for us old guys,” Edwards shared.

“He just needs to conjure up some of that Kyle Busch magic. I’ve been behind him and watched Kyle Busch pull off feats that leave me scratching my head.

“He’s shown he can work wonders in a race car, and I really hope he can reclaim that magic.”

Following a disappointing performance at Pocono, Busch now sets his sights on the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday. Not only does this race present another opportunity to break his winless streak, but it also marks the beginning of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge with a $1 million prize.

Busch, seeded No. 16, will go head-to-head with Brad Keselowski, with the driver who finishes higher at Atlanta advancing to the round of 16.

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series return to the newly-rebranded EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) for their second trip of the 2025 season.

Additionally, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take on the Lime Rock Park road course in Connecticut.

NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400

• Saturday, June 28
  • 7 p.m. (All times Eastern)
• 260 laps
  • Stages end on laps 60, 160, 260
• TNT (stream on Max), Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
• Last year’s winner: Joey Logano

For the third time this year, the NASCAR Cup Series will feature a full field with 36 chartered entries and four open entries:

• Corey LaJoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford
  • LaJoie’s fourth start of 2025
• David Starr, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
  • Starr’s first start of 2025
• B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
  • McLeod’s third start as a driver of 2025
• Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing
  • Zilisch’s third start of 2025

Odds for NASCAR Cup Series at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta 2025

The Penske trio of Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano lead the odds-on favorites for the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta, per Caesar’s Sportsbook. Here are the odds for the Quaker State 400:

• Ryan Blaney +750
• Austin Cindric, Joey Logano +850
• Kyle Busch +1050
• Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson +1600
• Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin +2000
• Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace +2200
• Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez +2500
• Chase Briscoe +3000
• Josh Berry +3500
• Michael McDowell +3800
• Ty Gibbs, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +4000
• Erik Jones, Connor Zilisch +4500
• A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Ryan Preece +5000
• Noah Gragson, Corey LaJoie +5500
• Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek +6000
• Zane Smith +7000
• Cole Custer +7500
• Riley Herbst +8000
• Ty Dillon +1000
• Shane Van Gisbergen +12500
• Cody Ware +25000
• B.J. McLeod +35000
• David Starr +50000

NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Focused Health 250

• Friday, June 27
  • 7 p.m. (All times Eastern)
• 163 laps
  • Stages end on laps 45, 90, 163
• CW, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
• Last year’s winner: Austin Hill

Austin Hill will be looking to capture his sixth checkered flag at EchoPark Speedway and his fifth in the last six races at Atlanta.

In total, 38 drivers are entered for the race. Notable entries include:

• Nick Leitz: No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing
• Garrett Smithley: No. 14 for SS-Green Light Racing
• Aric Almirola: No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing
• Patrick Staropoli: No. 24 for Sam Hunt Racing
• Katherine Legge: No. 32 for Jordan Anderson Racing
• Joey Gase: No. 35 for Joey Gase Motorsports
• Mason Massey: No. 45 for Alpha Prime Racing
• Mason Maggio: No. 53 for Joey Gase Racing
• Leland Honeyman Jr.: No. 70 for Cope Family Racing
• C.J. McLaughlin: No. 91 for DGM Racing

Odds for NASCAR Xfinity Series at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta 2025

Coming soon.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Focused LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park

• Saturday, June 28
  • 1 p.m. (All times Eastern)
• 100 laps
  • Stages end on laps 35, 70, 100
• FOX, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

Every driver will make the inaugural race at Lime Rock Park with 35 trucks entered. Notable entries include:

• Brent Crews: No. 1 for TRICON Garage
• William Lambros: No. 2 for Josh Reaume
• Thomas Annunziata: No. 07 for Spire Motorsports
• Jordan Taylor: No. 7 for Spire Motorsports
• Dale Quarterly: No. 32
• Wesley Slimp: No. 62 for Halmar-Friesen Racing (Stewart Friesen)

Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.

From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book “All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story” with racer Geoff Bodine.

Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.

You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.

Chase Briscoe has beaten team-mate Denny Hamlin at Pocono to take his first NASCAR Cup Series victory as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

With the way that strategies and cautions had played out, Briscoe led the Great American Getaway 400 ahead of the closing stages, but was under huge pressure from both his team-mate and his own car.

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Briscoe left his fuel box too early during his last pit stop, and his crew were fearful he didn’t have enough fuel on board to make it to the end, with the No. 19 forced to deploy plenty of lifting and coasting during the final stint with Hamlin breathing right down his neck.

Briscoe held on, however, and in doing so, became the third Joe Gibbs Racing driver to lock himself into the 2025 Cup Series playoffs after Hamlin and Christopher Bell.

Hamlin eventually came home in P2 behind Briscoe, having looked strong throughout the race, with Ryan Blaney finishing third, an impressive run after being sent to the rear before the green flag.

Elsewhere, it proved to be a miserable day for 23XI Racing, with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst classified as 32nd, 36th and 37th after issues for each during the race.

Wallace and Reddick are now under increasing pressure to hold onto their spot above the playoff bubble, with neither driver yet to win a race this season and lock themselves in.

With that said, let’s take a look at the full race results below, including stages one and two.

READ MORE: NASCAR announce quadruple Cup Series penalty at Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series: Who won the Pocono race today?

FASTEST LAP: Denny Hamlin [52.59 secs]

READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series star hit with devastating penalty at Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series: Pocono Stage 2 results

READ MORE: 23XI suffer DOUBLE demotion blow after Pocono as Kyle Busch on playoff brink

NASCAR Cup Series: Pocono Stage 1 results

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm Hendrick Motorsports cars set for further scrutiny after Pocono inspection

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race will consist of 3 stages for 160 laps across 400 miles.

What date is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

Sunday, June 22nd.

What time is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race will be at 2:00 PM ET.

What channel is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race on?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race starts at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 22nd. Prime Video will broadcast the race with MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio coverage.

Which driver has the most wins at Pocono Raceway?

Denny Hamlin holds the record for most driver victories at Pocono Raceway, with 7.

Related

When NASCAR heads to Atlanta this weekend to race at the newly renamed at EchoPark Speedway, 40 Cup cars will be present for what is sure to be yet another thrilling race at the Georgia track.