Kyle Busch to End NASCAR Career at Richard Childress Racing? Teammate Austin Dillon Makes Telling Claim

Will he or won’t he? Hang up his helmet, that is. That’s the question that Kyle Busch fans have been agonising over, after what has been arguably the worst year on record for one of the living legends of NASCAR.

Ever since his switch to RCR, Busch has hit an extraordinary dry spell. In his 21-year career, Busch has done it all. He was the 2009 Nationwide Series champion, is a two-time Cup Series winner and tops the all-time wins list across the top three divisions put together. Some may dispute whether he can be called the greatest NASCAR driver of his generation — but he has definitely been one of the most dominant.

But 2024 has been a whole different story. With no wins to his name, last year was the first time the Vegas native has gone without a trip to victory lane since his full-time debut in the sport more than two decades ago.

As a result, fans have been left wondering if Busch has been thinking about retiring from the sport he has been stamping his authority over for so long. While the #8 Chevy driver has not spoken up on the topic himself, teammate and driver of RCR’s #3 Chevrolet Camaro, Austin Dillon, provided some much-needed insight for fans, in an interview with Bob Pockrass.

“I think Kyle is learning a lot since the couple of years he’s been with us. I think he’s a happier person, personally. He obviously is the same when it comes to hating to run bad or not up to his standard and his standard is as high as it gets. He’s a champion of our sport,” said Dillon, touching on what Busch expects of his team.

“For us at RCR, we just have to put maximum effort in every week to deliver the best product, and that’s the best we can do. Try and give maximum effort every weekend, put him in the best position we can, and we’ll see where all the chips fall at the end.”

“But I think he’s enjoyed his time at RCR and wants to be at this organization to the end, I hope,” Dillon added, hinting at how Busch, who he thinks is in a happier place mentally at his grandfather’s team, is more likely to stay than leave.

While nobody can predict what the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver has in store for his NASCAR future, an uptick in performance at his current team would certainly reduce speculations about his retirement. In fact, team owner Richard Childress feels that Busch is actually evolving and maturing — both as a driver and as an individual after moving to RCR.

Richard Childress on Busch’s evolution

Speaking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his podcast, the NASCAR veteran elaborated:

“Once he’s got Brexton, his son, racing and sees the young things he wants him to do better; he wants him to have a different style… He wants him to win and he is a winner, he’s a good little driver… I think that those things mature you… Life changes all of us and age changes all of us,” insinuates Childress.

This change in attitude from Busch is evident in his demeanor on the track. The old Rowdy would have let everyone know of his struggles at the team and would have thrown his crew under the bus in search of better performances.

However, as he has matured, Busch has realized the need to avoid such outbursts, which has only increased his adoration by the fandom. Now, the only thing that remains is him getting back to winning ways.