Kyle Busch’s performance this season at Richard Childress Racing has been disappointing, especially when compared to his previous accomplishments with other teams. Once a strong force on the track, Kyle Rowdy Busch has only achieved five top-10 finishes and two top-5 finishes this season. It was the second-worst finish of his career, after only his rookie average of 21 in 2005. Looking at the statistics, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty recently compared Busch’s performance to that of Kyle Larson, for whom a team change resulted in dramatically different results.
On NASCAR’s YouTube channel, Kyle Petty did not mince words when he said, “Kyle Busch. Where has Kyle Busch gone? I have no idea. He started last season really well, and I thought, “Wow, this is pretty good.” You move from Gibbs to Childress, make that organization a success, and then they vanish.” Petty highlighted Kyle Larson’s accomplishments with Chip Ganassi Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.
While CGR Larson has won six races, he has 20 wins with Hendrick Motorsports since 2021. In response to that, Petty stated, “The organization has made Kyle Larson a better winner. Kyle Busch has gone from being a competitive winning driver to simply racing for eighth, ninth, and tenth place. But it was not meant to be like this.
When Kyle Busch joined RCR from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in 2022, Busch had kept it simple but resolute. “I haven’t gotten into the trenches on much of that yet. But, obviously, they have a good foundation and they have a good start. It’s just a matter of the knowledge and information that I feel like I have that I can bring to the table, bringing attention to areas in which make you a championship-caliber organization,” he had said.
Season 2023 started on a good note. Busch recorded three wins, 10 top-5 finishes, and 17 top-10 finishes in that season. But this year the picture is completely different. Busch’s losing streak now stands at 38 races, the longest in his career. To make matters worse, he did not win any race in the regular season, a first since 2004. In the 17th race of the regular season at the Iowa Speedway recently, things went further south.
Busch was desperately looking for a top-10 finish. But the race ended abruptly after a hit into the wall on lap 269. In a post-race conversation, Busch revealed, “Parts and pieces broke. Something in the left-rear suspension…We came in and fixed it. Rolling back out, we broke the belt. I have no idea, but frustrating, for sure.” That explanation did not seem to affect Petty’s opinion.
“Kyle Busch has made his own luck at RCR Racing,” Petty concluded. underscoring the critical role that team dynamics and support play in a driver’s success. So is it time for Busch to reconsider his team alignment to reclaim his winning ways?
Kyle Busch keeps the options wide open
Kyle Busch’s career at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) was marked by success, with numerous victories and two NASCAR Cup Series titles. After the debacle with RCR, Kyle himself seemed to be reconsidering his decision.
Via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Kyle Busch indicated he would consider returning to a top-tier team like JGR or Hendrick Motorsports if the opportunity presented itself. He remarked, “I would say anything is possible always. Certainly that if I was welcome [at JGR] I would go back. If Hendrick welcomed me I would go back.”
Despite this, Rowdy for now emphasized remaining committed to RCR, he mentioned, “But right now I’m at RCR with my group of guys and the deal that we have in place. So we’re trying to build this program and make RCR great again.” His current contract with RCR extends through the end of next season, and with Martin Truex Jr retiring, there is speculation about Chase Briscoe potentially filling the vacancy at JGR. That being said, it’s not the end of the story for Rowdy.
Keeping JGR in reserve, Busch has other options at hand that could be workable for him. There are teams like 23XI and Wood Brothers Racing that could make do with his expertise and benefit tremendously from it. However, rumors have it that Wood Brothers Racing is likely to go for Justin Haley.
However, it best interests Kyle Busch to focus on the issues plaguing him at RCR—especially the pit crew woes. Incidents like the Daytona 500 that saw pit crew members making blunders, such as leaving a loose lug nut, cannot be written off. How do you think the rest of the season will play out for Rowdy?
Be the first to comment