The 2026 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway was another race to forget for Kyle Busch. The Richard Childress Racing driver had a controversial incident with Riley Herbst towards the end of the 500-lap race, the foundations for which were laid 175 laps prior to that.

On lap 313, Busch was racing at the back of the pack after starting the race in 29th, when Herbst spun him around. What followed the incident was an unpleasant exchange between Busch’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, and crew chief Jim Pohlman.

“Listen, I know you’re frustrated," said Kneeland. "I don’t like running 30th either. But us yelling at each other during the race isn’t going to help sh*t. We’ve got to keep the glue folded together here. We’re all still in it, together. It’s not over. We’re only barely halfway through this thing.”

When Kneeland's message met with radio silence, he asked, "You copy?" Pohlman responded, "Yeah, copy. It’s the same sh*t every week."

Kyle Busch and his No. 8 RCR squad have been growing desperate to see some positive results this season. However, 2026 has only been an exaggerated extension of the disappointment over the past few seasons.

So far this season, Busch hasn't even seen the Top 10 in eight races. Moreover, he has recorded sub-20th-place results for four consecutive race weekends in Vegas, Darlington, Martinsville, and Bristol

Kyle Busch’s slump and the looming contract question

2026 could be Kyle Busch's third consecutive year not making it to the playoffs. Moreover, after his Bristol incident, he extended his winless streak, which began in 2023, to 101 races.

Moreover, fans were furious with Busch for getting 'payback' on Riley Herbst and spinning him around on lap 498 of the Cup race. The late caution could have potentially altered the outcome of the race and dented Busch's image further.

The two-time Cup Series champion runs out of his contract at Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2026. Such unfortunate incidents can only worsen his case of securing a contract extension.

Fans were looking forward to watching Kyle Busch get back into form and perform well after the Easter break. However, they were met with disappointment at Bristol.

Despite boasting 22 wins at the 0.533-mile oval, eight of which are Cup victories, he could only qualify in 29th and finish in 25th. The Richard Childress Racing driver currently sits in 24th place in the standings with 131 points. He is currently 46 points outside the play-off bubble.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yask Kotak