NASCAR can be an interesting study in human psychology and sociology. One of the most unique studies of that dynamic has to be the relationship between longtime Cup team owner Richard Childress and Kyle Busch.
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Back in 2011, after several verbal exchanges between the two in the preceding seasons, words turned to physical violence as Childress punched Busch in the face following a NASCAR Trucks race at Kansas Speedway.
The promotion didn’t take too kindly to Childress’ actions, fining him $150,000 and putting him on probation for the remainder of that season. But NASCAR makes for strange bedfellows, indeed.
Following the 2022 season, Busch was unceremoniously kicked to the curb by Joe Gibbs, who wanted Busch’s Cup seat for his grandson, Ty. Obviously, blood is thicker than water and winning, as Busch won 56 of his 63 career Cup wins and both Cup championships for Gibbs.
Meanwhile, the young Gibbs still has yet to earn his first Cup win, has 13 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes, plus two poles, in 99 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series while driving for his grandfather.
Young Ty is off to his worst start to a Cup season in 2025, with just one top-five and two top-10 finishes in the first 12 races.
It makes one wonder if Grandpa Joe made the right decision to let Busch go, as Busch won nine races and his second Cup title in the preceding four seasons before he got his pink slip from the Coach.
Few teams surprisingly wanted Busch
Busch found few takers for his services, even though he was a two-time Cup champion. But he finally got a call from one of the most unexpected sources.
Richard Childress, who needed to fill a high-profile spot on his team after promising young driver Tyler Reddick was literally stolen away by Michael Jordan’s and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing.
After a few phone calls and in-person meetings, one of the most unexpected marriages in NASCAR history occurred, as Childress hired Busch to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet. But it really wasn’t all that surprising, as Childress needed Busch as much as Busch needed Childress.
While that marriage has had a few bumps in the road, and with many critics predicting a divorce would occur after this season — the final year on Busch’s contract with Childress — yet another unexpected occurrence happened:
On Saturday, it was announced that Busch and Childress have extended their racing marriage for at least one more season — through the 2026 campaign.
Just like when they first got together, Saturday’s announcement was good for both sides: Childress needed Busch to stick around for at least one more year (until prospect Jesse Love is ready to be promoted to Cup), and Busch needed Childress to keep racing for at least one more year.
In making the announcement Saturday at their collective home track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Childress and Busch — the former enemies turned best friends — told the world that they’re going to give it at least one more year together.
“We’re really excited,” Childress said. “Kyle has been great to work with. Everybody had questions going in (about how their relationship would unfold). I love a driver that doesn’t like to lose. We’ve worked hard.”
Childress and Busch are both cut from the same cloth: they both have fiery personalities and have been known to lose their temper numerous times over the years — particularly that 2011 incident. But that similar personality also kind of brought them together, as well.
“(Kyle) and I are both alike in one area — that we don’t like to lose,” Childress said. “We want to win races. I still think Kyle will win him a championship, and we’re going to have it at RCR. That’s our plans.”
How long has it been since Childress’ last Cup title?
So, do the math, and that means Busch has either this season or next to win that championship for Childress, who hasn’t won a Cup title since Dale Earnhardt won his last of a record-tying seven Cup championships in 1994. That’s a drought of over 30 years.
While Busch has won three races while driving for RCR, all three came in his first season with the team in 2023, qualifying for the playoffs and ultimately finishing 14th in the final standings.
But last season, everything fell apart. Busch failed to win a Cup race for the first time in his full-time career, failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in his career, and finished 20th in the final standings, tying the worst single-season showing of his career, as well.
In this season’s first 12 races, Busch remains winless — a streak that is now at 69 straight races, the longest winless drought of his career. Busch does have one top-five and five top-10 finishes, so there’s that, but he’s definitely struggled of late in his last three races, all finishes of 20th or worse.
Still, Childress remains optimistic. “We’ve got a lot of new things coming,” he promised.
“This car is a lot different. It’s so engineer-driven that we’re stepping our engineering up more. And I’m excited about the future of where we can go. Watching Kyle race and working with him, it’s been a great pleasure. You know, he’s a champion.”
Time will tell if Busch becomes a champion for the man he calls boss, something in 2011 seemed 100 percent unlikely.
Even with his mediocre showing thus far in 2025, Busch played good soldier when he was asked about extending his current deal for at least one more year. RC wants a championship, and KB intends to do so, hopefully.
“Well, I think I give a lot of credit to Richard and him believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be able to come over here and have a chance to drive his car,” Busch said. “So for me, rewarding him with that and having the success on the racetrack is paramount.”
The evolving bond between Kyle Busch and Richard Childress proves that in NASCAR, redemption can lead to chasing first-place dreams together.
