Richard Childress Racing’s announcement of Jim Pohlman as Kyle Busch’s new crew chief for the No. 8 team has left the NASCAR community intrigued. Simply because Pohlman doesn’t have any experience in the Next Gen era.
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Pohlman’s resume includes a stint as RCR’s head of research and development, a successful run with Xfinity Series driver Justin Allgaier, and 20 Cup Series races. However, fans and insiders alike are split over how this move might turn out for Busch.
Randall Burnett’s Cup tenure had failed to reignite Busch’s winning spark in the past two seasons. Now, with RCR appointing a crew chief who is untested in Next Gen competition, questions are being posed from all sides.
When pressed on the matter during a media scrum ahead of the Talladega race on Sunday, Busch explained that leadership, not experience, will be the deciding factor in their success. “I think speed comes from the race shop. It starts there. It doesn’t happen at the racetrack,” he said.
“Crew chief driver relationships now with 25 minutes of practice is pretty much just trying to dial in your balance and make it as good as you can, make the right adjustments going into qualify and to qualify good, and then make the right adjustments for the first run of the race,” added Busch.
“So, you come out of the gate strong in that, it seems like those were probably areas in which we’ve not as not been as strong as we’d like. If you look at every single race, we get better and better and better throughout, and we’re finally okay in the third stage, but it’s too late. So, it’s just about making the right educated decisions with the squiggly lines on the computer,” the Richard Childress driver continued.
.@KyleBusch on Jim Pohlman as crew chief & @SamanthaBusch working to make IVF more affordable for the average American. #NASCAR
Presenting Partner: Billy’s Tequila (https://t.co/aO4VRyyJBA) PROMO CODE: RACE pic.twitter.com/7ZQ7pksiAC
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) October 18, 2025
Skepticism is natural. But Pohlman’s track record leaves little doubt about his capabilities. His partnership with Allgaier at JR Motorsports’ No. 7 team hit the ground running in 2023. They bagged nine wins and a Championship 4 appearance in their first year together. And in 2024, the partnership delivered Allgaier his long-awaited championship.
Allgaier has already qualified for the Xfinity Championship 4 race at Phoenix on November 1, keeping their championship run alive as Pohlman prepares to pass the baton and return to the Cup Series in 2026. With his proven knack for turning potential into performance, RCR’s gamble might just pay off.
