Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Cup Collection lineup will not change for 2026. Whereas Austin Dillon will proceed to pilot the No. 3 Chevrolet, the staff confirmed on Saturday that Kyle Busch has picked up an choice in his contract to proceed driving the No. 8 by means of 2026.
“We’re actually excited,” mentioned Childress, who received six driver’s titles with Dale Earnhardt Sr. between 1986 and 1994. “You recognize, that is extending our contract for an additional 12 months, and we’re actually excited. Kyle has been nice to work with. All people had questions moving into. I like a driver that does not prefer to lose. We have labored arduous. We have got some thrilling issues developing. He and I are each alike in a single space – that we do not prefer to lose. We wish to win races.
“I nonetheless assume Kyle will win him a championship, and we will have it at RCR. That is our plans. We have got a whole lot of new issues coming. This automobile is rather a lot completely different. It is so engineer-driven that we’re stepping our engineering up extra. And I am enthusiastic about the way forward for the place we will go. Watching Kyle race and dealing with him, it has been a fantastic pleasure. You recognize, he is a champion. This is the man that is received over 200 NASCAR races. His profession just isn’t even near being over.”
There are few drivers who declare to have had as a lot success as Busch within the historical past of NASCAR. The 2-time NASCAR Cup Collection champions leads present full-time drivers in race wins (63), however that does not imply it is all been clean crusing for him.
Centered on ending KB’s winless streak
Race winner Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Photos
After ending a 15-year tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing, he joined Richard Childress Racing in the beginning of the 2023 season. They received three races of their first 12 months collectively, however after going winless in 2024, he missed the playoffs. Busch hasn’t received in almost 70 races within the longest winless streak of his profession.
“We definitely have a vineyard and a champagne bistro there that we will get loads of booze to have a very good time (after we do win),” mentioned Busch concerning the drought. “I’m excited for the subsequent win when it’s. We wish to get again to that as quickly as potential. It has been just a little bit humbling, I’d say. I really feel like there’s added occasions the place it’s motivation, and it will get you to have that itch of having the ability to wish to get again to Victory Lane and to work as arduous because it probably must be. Belief me, my spouse, she sees that as properly, too, the place I am gone just a little bit greater than what I used to be, and so she’s on the very fact of, ‘This higher be price it!’”
RCR earned a victory final 12 months with Dillon, however admits that he “felt like we let (Kyle) down some final 12 months by not profitable a race. There’s issues that we have modified rather a lot to attempt to win. We’ll win a race this 12 months with him and hopefully Austin as properly. We’re working actually arduous. Like he mentioned, he hit the important thing level. You have to work smarter, and that is what we’re making an attempt to do. And I believe we have got a whole lot of good issues going.”
Not carried out but
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos
One other query that continuously surrounds Busch is that of retirement. He’s now probably the most skilled driver within the Cup Collection discipline with over 700 begins. However at 40 years outdated, he would not have any rapid plans of slowing down.
“No, no, by no means,” he mentioned of retirement. “There’s type of the imaginative and prescient or the plan, if you’ll, on having the ability to race in some Truck races with Brexton (his son, aged 10) alongside him. So clearly, that is six years from now earlier than he could make that begin. That may type of be an thought of once I would have a look at stepping apart from Cup Collection racing. However, , it is a lengthy methods out.”
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On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Kyle Busch
Richard Childress Racing
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