Denny Hamlin reacts to Randall Burnett leaving Kyle Busch to crew chief Connor Zilisch in 2026

Last week, it was revealed that Randall Burnett will serve as crew chief for Connor Zilisch during his debut season in the NASCAR Cup Series next year. He’s leaving his post as crew chief for the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 team and Kyle Busch, a role he’s held since 2023.

Burnett first joined RCR in 2017, working with a range of drivers over the years including Busch, Tyler Reddick, and A.J. Allmendinger. Now, Trackhouse will entrust him to call the shots in Zilisch’s rookie season, a move that has generated plenty of conversation across the garage.

On the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin reacted to the news. For Hamlin, the change makes sense for both sides.

“I think he needed a change. I think all parties need a change,” Hamlin stated. “Certainly, Kyle’s going through it right now. The performance is not there. I am a believer that Kyle Busch still has the ability to go win races. I do think that his cars are off, but I don’t think they’re off to the extent that we’re seeing on Sundays.

“I don’t know that Randall Burnett is making the car spin out every week or hit the wall every week. There’s got to be a little bit of shared responsibility in what’s going on with Kyle right now, but certainly it’s not good. So I think everyone just wanted a change of scenery — they’re all going to get it.”

That change could mark an important turning point. Whoever steps in as Busch’s new crew chief will inherit the challenge of reinvigorating a two-time champion whose results have been underwhelming of late.

Kevin Harvick echoed Hamlin’s hope that Busch can find his way back to Victory Lane, stressing that the sport is better when Busch is competitive: “We all want to see Kyle Busch win. I mean, it’s good for the sport. It’s Kyle freaking Busch, right? There’s nothing worse,” Harvick stated, via Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.

“And look, as much as I’ve gone through moments where I hated Kyle Busch—hated him with a passion at times—that’s all come full circle. Now we can communicate, and we’ve got a good relationship. But I just can’t imagine Kyle Busch going out like this. It’s bad for everything. It’s bad for the sport. It’s bad for him. It’s bad for everything that says ‘Kyle Busch.’ And I just — I hate to see where it’s at right now.”

The future for Busch will hinge on who RCR places atop the pit box and whether the partnership can spark a resurgence. Meanwhile, Burnett faces a new challenge with Zilisch, looking to mold a Cup Series rookie into a contender in 2026.