MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin didn’t hold back.
Speaking on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, the veteran driver offered a blunt assessment of Kyle Busch and his current situation with Richard Childress Racing — and the outlook wasn’t optimistic.
“It may be over,” Hamlin said, referencing Busch’s ability to consistently contend at the highest level. “At some point, you have to look at it and say maybe the pairing just isn’t working the way anyone thought it would.”
The comments come amid a frustrating stretch for Busch, who has struggled to find consistent speed since joining RCR. After a strong initial run that included early success, results have tapered off, and the No. 8 team has been unable to keep pace with the sport’s top organizations.
Hamlin pointed to the broader picture — not just Busch’s performance, but the limitations of the partnership itself.
“I don’t think it’s all on Kyle,” Hamlin said. “I just don’t know if that combination, with where RCR is at right now, is enough to get back to what he’s used to.”
Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, built his legacy on winning races in bulk and contending for championships annually. That standard has proven difficult to meet in his current situation, where outright speed has been inconsistent and execution issues have compounded the problem.
Through the early portion of the 2026 season:
- Busch has yet to secure a win
- Has recorded limited top-five finishes
- Sits outside the playoff cutline
- Has struggled on intermediate tracks, traditionally a strength
For a driver of Busch’s caliber, it’s a noticeable dip.
Hamlin’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment in the garage — that while Busch remains capable, the path back to weekly contention may require more than just time.
“There’s still flashes,” Hamlin said. “You’ll see it on certain weekends where he looks like Kyle Busch again. But over the long run, it’s just not sustaining.”
The idea that Busch’s championship window could be closing is a significant shift for one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers. At 40 years old, he remains one of the most experienced competitors in the field, but the combination of age, equipment and competition level is becoming harder to ignore.
Still, Hamlin stopped short of placing the blame solely on Busch.
“This sport is about the whole package,” he said. “Driver, team, cars, execution — all of it. And right now, that package just isn’t where it needs to be.”
For Richard Childress Racing, the pressure is mounting to elevate performance and maximize the remaining prime years of one of NASCAR’s biggest stars. For Busch, the challenge is balancing reality with expectation — and finding a way to stay competitive in an increasingly deep field.
Whether that happens with RCR remains an open question.
For now, the results — and the conversation — continue to trend in the wrong direction.
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