After a string of disappointing results in his #8 Chevrolet Camaro fielded by Richard Childress Racing and topping out at Homestead-Miami with a P21 finish, Kyle Busch seems to have reached his breaking point.
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The two-time champion of the sport endured a winless season last year for the first time in 19 years, and the drought persists. This season, he has flashed signs of speed, especially at COTA, where he led a dominant 42 laps and nearly snapped his winless streak before a caution relegated him to a fifth-place finish. But following the Homestead race, Busch stirred the pot with a cryptic message.
Busch took to his official X handle, leaving fans parsing his words without further clues. He stated, “News at 18:51 on Monday.” The numbers #18 and #51 hark back to his days driving the Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing and his tenure at the helm of his own team Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series, respectively.
But since Joe Gibbs Racing parted ways with him in 2023 due to sponsorship issues, and with Kyle Busch Motorsports now shuttered, fans were left puzzling over the meaning behind his arcane post. Many speculated it signaled his departure from the RCR team, frustrated by the car’s lack of pace.
News at 18:51 on Monday.
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) March 23, 2025
Fan theories varied widely. One confidently declared, “He told me he’s retiring when the RCR contract ends,” suggesting a possible end to his RCR stint. Another fan hinted at a new beginning, asserting, “KB is announcing he is signing with 23XI.” Yet another lamented, “Bros retiring he can’t handle RCR no more .”
Pushing the envelope further, another speculated about a switch to a different team: “meaning, that you’re are done with RCR and leaving to Penske racing.”
Busch is currently trailing in the playoff race, positioned 17th in the driver standings with an average finish of 18.0. His performance echoes last year’s, where at this juncture, he had secured just one top-5 finish — a statistic that has not improved this season. However, he has managed to notch two additional top-10 finishes compared to last year.
Looking ahead, Busch heads to Martinsville along the rest of the field where he holds an average finish of 13.3 across 39 starts. His track record at ‘The Paperclip’ includes two wins, seventeen top-5 finishes, and twenty-one top-10 placements.
This marks the venue as a potentially favorable battleground for him to improve his season’s outlook. However, it remains to be seen if he will be competing on the track with the same team.
