Denny Hamlin Absolves Richard Childress, Blames NASCAR Next Gen Car for Kyle Busch’s Struggles

Kyle Busch turned 40 years old on May 2. Many would argue, in light of his performances in recent years, that he would be better off hanging up his racing gear for good at this age. He squashed these thoughts in an interview last month by stating that he is just heading into his best years on the track. Denny Hamlin has now shared wisdom to help him live up to this self-expectation.

When speaking to the press at Texas, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran said that being competitive in the 40s was all about physical fitness. He pointed out how he has had to work much harder since he hit the mark.

Hamlin said, “He is doing everything. He is still as good a driver as he has been in the last 10 years. Sometimes, you get to a car that doesn’t necessarily like your style. You’ve got to adapt.”

Busch struggled with Richard Childress Racing throughout 2024, failing to win a race in a year for the first time in 19 years. He also did not make it into the playoffs and was left reeling with a significant drop in form. His attempts to climb out of it in 2025 have received mixed results. He has four top-10s and one top-five after the first ten races of the year.

The question is if or when he will adapt to the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro and get back to being at the front of the field, where Hamlin thinks he still belongs. On the brighter side of things, Busch appears to have found some confidence in himself after being quite frustrated last year. He has been tackling questions about his age and retirement plans with infectious positivity.

Age is just a number for Busch

Kyle Busch said in an interview with TODAY Magazine last month that he has no plans of calling it quits anytime soon. Using Hamlin as the reason for his belief to keep going, he said that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. “I am ready to go,” he quipped ecstatically and lifted the spirits of his fans up.

At Texas, he was asked if being 40 years old bothered him much. It is a number that drivers always dread. Busch, however, doesn’t seem to mind it all that much. He replied, “I mean 40 being a number seems like an old number. But thankfully, I don’t feel 40. I think there’s a positive in that.”

“I don’t feel much different from how I did seven years ago. That’s a positive of it.” Hopefully, all this will translate to results on the track. He has qualified to start the Würth 400 at the Texas Motor Speedway in 26th place.