Richard Childress addresses Kyle Busch's struggles at RCR amid winless streak

Kyle Busch‘s tenure with Richard Childress Racing has been mired in mediocrity. That’s not a word you can use to describe Busch as a driver and yet, it’s fitting in this instance.

Busch, 40, joined RCR ahead of the 2023 season after an incredibly successful 15-year run with Joe Gibbs Racing. He started out like gangbusters behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet, winning three races in his first 15 starts. But since then, it’s been a struggle.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is riding a career-long 69-race winless streak. Though at times he’s shown signs of life this season, mistakes or misfortune have always seemed to come at the worst time. Busch is currently 17th in the points standings.

Richard Childress announced Saturday he has picked up Busch’s option for 2026. Childress spoke about Busch’s struggles, and how to get the race car right for him.

Richard Childress on where maybe things have gone a little south and why he has confidence Kyle Busch will win again in an RCR car. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/KKoZiNFPWj

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 25, 2025

“Well, it all boils down to the drivers having their own feel,” Childress said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “And we’re working hard to get that feel. The first year, we won three races right out of the bat. We’ve changed a little in our engineering and I think that bit us just a little. But he’s right. We’ve got to get the car the feel that he wants. These cars are different. And once we get that feel he wants, it’s going to be Katie Bar the Door.”

Kyle Busch calls winless streak ‘humbling’

Busch has made Victory Lane a second home. He’s been there 63 times in his Cup career. He admitted this current run without a win has been humbling. But when that streak is broken, you can bet there’s a party to follow.

“Yeah, absolutely. We certainly have a winery and a champagne bistro there that we can get plenty of booze to have a good time. I’m excited for the next win when it is. We want to get back to that as soon as possible. It has been a little bit humbling, I would say,” Busch said.

“I feel like there’s added times where it’s motivation, and it gets you to have that itch of being able to want to get back to Victory Lane and to work as hard as it possibly needs to be. Trust me, my wife, she sees that as well, too, where I’m gone a little bit more than what I was, and so she’s on the fact of this better be worth it.”