‘Concern’ Grows For Veteran NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch In 2026

Kyle Busch is undoubtedly one of the best NASCAR drivers of his generation, but his days of being a contender for the Cup Series Championship might be over.

Back in May of last year, Richard Childress Racing announced that Busch signed a contract extension that’ll run through 2026. The two sides said they have a shared goal of “winning races and championships together.” That being said, Busch finished 21st in points for the 2025 season.

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As of this moment, former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick isn’t so sure we’ll see Busch winning Cup Series races at this stage in his career. He expressed his concerns during the latest episode of “Speed.”

“I think when you look at Kyle Busch, one of our sports greatest drivers that we’ve ever seen behind the wheel, and I think this Gen-Seven car, when he first went to RCR, they won a couple races right off the bat. Ever since halfway through that first year at RCR, it’s slowly deteriorated,” Harvick said, via On3.

“We all want to see hope for Kyle Busch. We want to see him in Victory Lane. We want to see RCR in Victory Lane. But they just don’t have the speed. You can see the frustration. This is a contract year for Kyle Busch, and I’m a little worried, as to how this whole thing ends with Kyle Busch and RCR. So, a lot of pressure on Kyle to go out and perform, and right now they just have no performance on the racetrack.”

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Brutal start to the 2026 season.

Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, finished in 21st at the Goodyear 400 this past Sunday. Obviously, it’s not the result he was hoping for at Darlington Raceway.

Richard Childress Racing has not yet recorded a top-10 finish this season. That would explain why Busch currently sits 23rd in points.

The Cup Series will resume this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.