Kyle Busch crew chief change is front and center at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, as Andy Street steps in as interim crew chief for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet. The decision comes on the heels of an organizational shake-up, with Randall Burnett preparing to depart RCR for Trackhouse Racing in 2026 and team leadership seeking immediate improvements during the current NASCAR Cup Series season.
Shift in Leadership for Richard Childress Racing
The change was announced after news broke that Randall Burnett—Busch’s crew chief since joining RCR in 2023—will take on a new role at Trackhouse Racing, guiding rookie Connor Zilisch in his Cup Series debut. Burnett has spent the last eight years with Richard Childress Racing, contributing to their competitive efforts. While Burnett will be leaving to join Trackhouse Racing in 2026, he will still support RCR in a different capacity until the end of the current season. Andy Street, stepping in, will command the pit box for the rest of the season as the team works to find solutions and better results on the track.
Struggles in Recent Performance
Since joining Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch has secured three victories, with wins coming early at venues like Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway—all taking place within his first 15 starts for the team. However, this season marks a downturn, with only two top-five finishes, eight top 10s, and just 62 laps led as the season draws to a close. With only five races remaining in the 2025 calendar, these statistics reflect a career low for Busch, highlighting the need for change and improvement within the team’s structure.
Busch’s Perspective on the Need for Change
Kyle Busch emphasized the results-driven nature of the sport and acknowledged that the current outcomes have demanded a new approach from the organization.
“Obviously, I mean, we’re not getting the results, right?”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
“Results (are) what matters. We’re in a performance-based business and not getting the results. It’s got to fall back on someone, and they re-signed me for another year. So that kind of gave me the notion of they’ve got my back. And we needed to find a change somewhere.”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
Busch also recognized the complexity of team dynamics, noting that success is rarely about a single change and instead depends on collaboration across multiple roles—a sentiment he illustrated by comparing the situation to a football staff, where the entire group contributes to the end result.
“I mean, it’s not just going to be a crew chief that comes in and fix the whole program. I’m going to put that out there,”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
“We’ve got to have from top to bottom, from inside out, an opportunity of being able to orchestrate the proper personnel to go out there to execute.”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
Interim Appointment and Future Prospects
As Andy Street takes the helm as interim crew chief, attention now turns to the team’s plans for a permanent appointment in 2026. Kyle Busch indicated that team owner Richard Childress and team president Mike Verlander would lead the effort to select the right candidate for the role, emphasizing the need for a thorough and careful approach.
“I would say they’ve got to have a Rolodex,”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
Busch is giving management the flexibility to consider both internal and external candidates who can help guide the team in the right direction. He stressed timeliness as a factor, with many potential crew chiefs and key personnel finalizing contracts as the season nears its end.
“It’s not that I don’t want any input or to be in those conversations, but they’ve got to put together their list. And obviously, time is of the essence because people are probably getting their deals done right now in order to get it done by the end of the year. So once that’s together, then you kind of go over that and say yea or nay.”
— Kyle Busch, Driver
What This Means for Busch and RCR
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, finds himself at a crossroads with Richard Childress Racing as the organization attempts to regroup and refocus after a period of underperformance. The arrival of Andy Street in the interim role signals a willingness to experiment with new strategies in hope of reviving momentum. With Burnett’s pending transition and the need for decisive improvements, the remainder of the season will test both the flexibility and depth of the team’s leadership and operational talents. The focus now is on assembling the right mix of personnel to support Busch and position the No. 8 car for improved results as they look ahead to future seasons in the competitive landscape of NASCAR.
With Richard Childress Racing and Randall Burnett parting ways at the end of the season, RCR has decided Andy Street will step in as crew chief of the No. 8 team with driver Kyle Busch effective this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Burnett will continue contributing in a…
— RCR (@RCRracing) October 1, 2025
