CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch will return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, with the driver and team announcing Saturday morning that the two-time champion would continue driving RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet.
Following a highly successful 15-year run at Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch signed a multi-year contract with RCR in 2023 that included a team option for the 2025 season. At the beginning of this year, it was uncertain if the Busch-RCR pairing would continue after Busch went winless last season, a career first. But with Busch, 40, still an elite talent, it made sense for RCR to keep him in the fold.
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“There’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes, and it’s a great place to be, a great place to work, great atmosphere and a lot of great determination with a lot of people up there in Welcome, North Carolina (where RCR is located),” Busch said Saturday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s race. “We have certainly had our battles. It’s been fun, but yet challenging. Definitely isn’t easy. The sport is very, very tough, very, very close and challenging, and being able to score those wins and compete for those each and every week. And we know there are areas in which we can improve, both behind the wheel on pit road, in engineering, all of the above.”
When RCR initially signed Busch, it was a significant move for an organization that last won a Cup title in 1994 and struggled to produce consistent high-level results year-to-year. Busch seemed set to be the difference-maker RCR was seeking.
In just Busch’s second start in 2023, he won at California Speedway, extending his all-time record winning streak to 19 consecutive years. He later added two additional victories, even moving to third in points for a time during the regular season.
But since Busch’s last win at Gateway on June 4, 2023, the consistency that was once his hallmark has faltered. He failed to qualify for the playoffs last year, finishing 20th in points with an 18.3 average finish and leading a career-low 230 laps.
Still, Busch has regularly flashed his talent to indicate that if RCR can consistently provide him with fast cars, he can run up. That is why it made sense for RCR to bring him back for a fourth season, especially as the team works to retool itself behind the scenes by adding several key personnel and building its cars to better fit Busch’s driving style.
“It all boils down to drivers having their own field, and we’re working hard to get that feel,” team owner Richard Childress said. “The first year, we won three races right off the bat. We changed a little in our engineering, and I think that bit us just a little. But (Busch is) right: We got to get the car to feel what he wants, and once we get the feel he wants, it’s going to be ‘Katy, bar the door.’”
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Entering Sunday, Busch ranks 17th in the standings, seven points behind RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece for the last provisional playoff spot with 14 regular-season races remaining. His best finish is a fifth at the Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas, a race where Busch led a race-high 42 laps.
Throughout the RCR organization, team members have widely credited Busch with improving its overall performance, even if the results haven’t shown for it. He was in contention for strong finishes and possible wins at both Texas and Kansas this season before accidents waylaid his chances.
“I feel like he gives you what you expect, which is that he’s a hard worker,” said teammate Austin Dillon on Friday. “He’s fiery. He wants the best for the cars. He wants to get to victory lane constantly and will push everyone to figure out how to make that happen, even himself on the track. But as far as being in the meetings with him after practice and on Mondays and the debriefs, he’s very helpful. He asks good questions at the right time about what your car is doing, and he provides information that you can make your car better off of.
“So from that standpoint, you couldn’t ask for a more helpful teammate when it comes to his knowledge of the game and what he is providing from an informational standpoint.”
(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
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