Denny Hamlin used his Actions Detrimental podcast to explain the struggles facing Kyle Busch at Richard Childress Racing early in the NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Busch started the year with speed, winning the pole for the Daytona 500 and showing strong pace.
But the results did not follow. Kyle Busch finished 15th at Daytona and then crashed at Atlanta, ending the race in 34th. Those finishes dropped him in the standings and extended his winless streak. Denny Hamlin focused on what has changed since Kyle Busch joined RCR and why the team has not matched its earlier performance with the Next Gen car in a more competitive field.
NASCAR Cup Series Struggles Linked to Lack of Speed
Denny Hamlin said the main issue is not effort but the car’s performance. Denny Hamlin explained that Kyle Busch has not found steady speed in the current package.
“Clearly, RCR is not good right now. It’s time to be honest about what’s going on. I think he doesn’t know how to get the speed out of the Next Gen car on a consistent basis.”
He added that Kyle Busch has shown speed at times, but it has not carried over into full race weekends.
“There have been flashes of it. Yes, he won three races in his first season at RCR, but at that time, everyone was guessing,” he said.
Denny Hamlin compared the early Next Gen period to the current field and said the gap between teams has closed across the NASCAR Cup Series.
“If you look at the statistics from 2022 and compare them to 2026 at the same tracks, the field has tightened up a lot. What used to be spread out is now very close. Everyone is so close now.”
Results Show Early-Season Struggles
Kyle Busch opened the season at Daytona with a strong qualifying run. He earned the pole and led the field to green. However, Kyle Busch did not finish near the front, finishing 15th.
The following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway brought more trouble. Kyle Busch was involved in a crash and finished 34th. Those results placed him further back in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after the opening races.
The early results show a gap between speed in short moments and results over a full race. Kyle Busch has not been able to stay at the front for the entire race distance.
Competitive Pressure Continues to Build
Denny Hamlin said the current level of competition makes it harder for any team to recover without consistent speed. The field now runs closer together, leaving little room for mistakes or missed setups.
“It’s a tough time right now, and I hate seeing it. Kyle is a competitor who hates losing, and I know it’s eating at him how bad he’s running every week.”
Kyle Busch joined Richard Childress Racing in 2023 and won three races in his first season with the team. Since then, results have declined as other teams improved their performance with the same car model in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Denny Hamlin made it clear in his analysis that Kyle Busch still has the drive to compete, but the team has not matched the pace needed to run at the front each week.
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