As dark clouds threatened and what would prove the final laps began to unfold Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, the end loomed for one of the strangest winless skids in NASCAR -- and one that had nothing to do with the No. 43 car of Richard Petty Motorsports. Aric Almirola may have seized the lead with seven laps remaining to deliver the storied No. 43 car its first triumph since 1999, but that drought wasn't nearly as mystifying as another which continued Sunday, when one of NASCAR's best restrictor-plate racers somehow remained winless in points-paying plate events. The No. 43 car's slump, though painful to watch at times, was somewhat understandable -- the Petty organization fell steeply into disrepair, merged with another team that was mismanaged to the brink of bankruptcy under a former owner, and even now continues to fight an uphill battle against the larger traditional powers in the sport. Meanwhile there's Busch, a former champion who famously pushed former teammate Ryan Newman to victory in the 2008 Daytona 500, who after settling for third Sunday is now a staggering 0-for-55 on plate tracks. More...