Sunday’s race started off as a race to at least halfway. See, rain was in the area this afternoon in New Hampshire and we at least needed to get to Lap 151 for this race on Sunday to be official. Unfortunately, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion didn’t even make it to see the Lap 30 competition caution.

Kyle Busch blew a tire exiting Turn 2 on Lap 15 and would slam the Turn 3 SAFER barrier as a result ending his day with a last place (38th place) finish. It was the third time in the last four races that Busch has failed to even finish in the top 10 while he’s had just two top five finishes in his last 10 races overall.

“Just going down the backstretch there and about halfway down the backstretch I felt it go flat and tried to get slowed down enough without taking everybody else running over me behind me down the straightaway,” Busch said of his crash. “I don’t know, I think there’s a replay of another Pedigree car here a few years ago that blew a right-front tire for absolutely no reason too. Seems to be our luck with the Pedigree car here at New Hampshire. Sorry to all of our fans and all the Pedigree folks. It’s still 2020.”

Busch said before the race that Loudon wasn’t necessary one of his best tracks anyways.

“It’s not one of my best race tracks, I’ll admit that,” Busch said before the race weekend. I’ve won there twice so, if we get a good car – I guess I’ll need to have a really good car, apparently – then we might have a shot to win there.”

Furthermore, none of those two top five finishes on the season were better than fourth. He also extends his winless drought to 20 races with his season finale win last year at Homestead being his only victory in the last 42 races now.

Busch, has just one playoff point while guys like Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have 29, 22, 21 and 14 respectively right now. This has not been a great start to defending his championship this year for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.