Kyle Busch has delivered his perspective on Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) season so far, directly responding to team chief Richard Childress’s sharp remarks following the recent Dover race. This comes as the team continues searching for better results, with Busch emphasizing during a media appearance that their challenges are not for a lack of hard work, as he reviews RCR’s performance entering the later part of the 2025 schedule.
Richard Childress Voices Concerns After Dover
Following Sunday’s competition at Dover, Richard Childress did not hide his frustration with RCR’s current state, expressing urgent concerns to the team over the radio. Childress stated,
Gotta get some race cars. We are in trouble. Period.
His comments heightened the public scrutiny amid RCR’s ongoing winless run this season.
So far in 2025, none of the RCR cars have secured a victory, and Kyle Busch’s best results have been a pair of fifth-place finishes on road courses at COTA and in Chicago. The team overall has faced recurring difficulties with speed and consistency, as Busch attempts to secure enough points to reach the playoffs, currently trailing the cut line by 39 points with only five regular season races remaining.
Bush Addresses the Team’s Effort and Challenges
Asked about Childress’s candid assessment, Kyle Busch chose to reassure both fans and teammates by making clear the intensity of their internal efforts. As he said,
It is not due to lack of effort, that’s for damn sure,
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series driver.
Busch expanded on the situation by applauding the team’s dedication. He emphasized,
Everybody at RCR, back there at the race shop, they’re working as hard as they can,
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series driver.
According to Busch, the engineers are actively analyzing data and exploring solutions to regain speed. He explained further,
[The] balance of the race cars has been pretty good this year, the driveability feels okay, it’s just the lack of speed.
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series driver.
Signs of Improvement and Looking Ahead to Indianapolis
While the results have been inconsistent, there have been recent signs of progress: Busch has achieved fifth, 10th, and 11th place finishes in the past few weeks, reversing a previous stretch where his No. 8 car broke into the top 10 only once across ten races.
With the upcoming race at Indianapolis, Busch is preparing with optimism. He commented,
I love Indy, coming to Indy’s a lot of fun,
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series driver. Busch reflected on his prior success at the event, including wins in 2015 and 2016, and referenced the strong legacy of Chevrolet and fellow driver Kyle Larson at the circuit.
Busch believes that recent performance trends and historical success at Indianapolis could give RCR an opportunity to rebound. He explained,
So, I would think that our basis should be pretty close that we can go out there and we can have a good shot.
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series driver.
As Busch, Richard Childress, and their entire team at Richard Childress Racing focus on the Indy race and the remainder of the regular season, their playoff hopes will hinge on translating hard work into concrete results. For now, the team’s effort is clear, but securing vital points and returning to victory lane remains the pressing challenge.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Where will Kyle Busch go in 2026?
A. CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing announced that Busch will stay with the team, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet, until the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The announcement was made on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Q. Will Kyle Busch retire?
A. Kyle Busch mentioned that he isn’t thinking about retiring anytime soon. He renewed his contract with Richard Childress Racing until 2026.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner wants to compete with his son Brexton in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series, which will happen in six years.
