DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing Zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet stands by his car prior to the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 Duels 1 on February 12, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 12 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Duels 1 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260212013
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing Zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet stands by his car prior to the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 Duels 1 on February 12, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.Photo by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 12 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Duels 1 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260212013
Apr 5, 2026, 10:40 PM CUT
Insider Flags Deeper RCR Issues as Kyle Busch’s Winless Streak Hits New Low
As Chase Elliot celebrates victory at the last Martinsville Speedway, there's another side to Chevrolet that has started to look like a tragedy. Kyle Busch's legendary career has hit a dip, which many are calling a "New Low."
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is now on a career-worst 100-race NASCAR Cup Series winless streak, with his last win being the Enjoy Illinois 300 in 2023.
Currently standing in 24th place with 119 points, Kyle has gone 7 races into the 2026 season with a single top-10 finish.
The tension was clearly reflected on RCR when Busch qualified 34th after driving an "unbalanced" car. The situation got much worse for Rowdy when, during the 78th lap, his pit crew lost tire control during pit exit. The result was a penalty.
In a recent episode of Hot Dog and Cleetus, NASCAR insider and former Cup Series driver Rick Mast expressed that this is the first time he's seen this "Whatever Attitude" of Kyle. He also added,
"I'm with the hope of so many people; they'll get that thing turned around. You know, people ask, "Well, why is it like that? "You can't answer that question, man."
He also expressed the kind of pressure Richard Childress, the Owner of RCR, must have been under the circumstances.
"Knowing Richard the way I know him… I feel for the man because that man, he puts everything into that racing and all he wants to do is win. The bottom core of that guy is winning races, and to be running the way they're running—man, oh man, he's not a happy camper."
Is the RCR partnership reaching a breaking point for Kyle Busch?
Kyle's struggle with the car was quite evident on the RCR team radio during the Martinsville race. He has quite openly expressed his frustration that the machine simply isn't adjusting the way he wants.
He called the car "broken" at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway after going down many laps, as the car faded badly during the race.
The chaos gives rise to a very obvious question. Will this partnership reach its end after the 2026 season? The speculations become even more possible given that this is Busch's last year of contract with RCR.
Although the rumors around retirement after such a season are also piling up, neither party has confirmed any possibility yet. And just like Rack Mast, everyone is hoping for a miracle in RCR to turn this situation around soon.
Read more at RFK Racing Digest!
Written by
Sanskriti Pastor
Edited by
Kaamna Dwivedi