Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team for Richard Childress Racing are struggling. Through eight races, Busch sits 24th in the point standings with a 46-point deficit to the Chase bubble. The driver of the No. 8 car’s winless streak has reached 100-plus races and has four straight finishes outside of the top-20 spots. In a contract year, it is time for the Richard Childress Racing driver to make a decision.
Busch has to leave Richard Childress Racing and find a new NASCAR Cup Series organization to start 2027. Busch hasn’t finished in the top-10 spots through nine races and only has two top-15 finishes at Daytona International Speedway and Circuit of the Americas. Meanwhile, his teammate, Austin Dillon, has a best finish of 12th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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Richard Childress Racing is really struggling, and while Busch hasn’t been performing well, the talent still exists. Busch won three races in his first season with Richard Childress Racing, with only eight top-5 finishes in 2024, 2025, and the start of 2026. The NASCAR team is struggling for speed, and it hasn’t been trending in the right direction.
It is fair to wonder if teams will question Busch’s ability in the NextGen car, but Spire Motorsports would be an excellent fit. Busch drives for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series, and the organization is rising in the Cup Series. Whether it’s Spire Motorsports or another team, it is just obvious that change is needed.
Busch is a two-time Cup Series champion who is struggling to finish in the top-15 spots at an age where most drivers are in their prime. It is hard to believe that Busch simply lost all of his talent in the Cup Series, especially after winning three races in the No. 8 car during the 2023 NASCAR season before steadily losing speed.
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The partnership between Busch and Richard Childress Racing started better than anyone could have expected, but it is obvious that both sides need a reset. Busch has to find a new NASCAR organization in the silly season process, or he risks wasting the end of his Cup Series career running in 20th place every week.
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This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Why Kyle Busch should find a new NASCAR Cup Series team for 2026
