MADISON, Ill. — From a headlock to a hug, no one could have predicted 12 years ago—to the day—that Kyle Busch would be the driver to resuscitate Richard Childress Racing.
In 2011, RCR was still a four-car Cup team with Kevin Harvick in his prime, piloting the flagship team. The six-time Cup championship organization also housed successful Xfinity, Craftsman Truck and ARCA Menard’s operations.
Yet over the next decade, RCR dwindled down to two Cup teams and two Xfinity squads. After Kevin Harvick left at the end of 2013, the company collected just three wins in the next six seasons.
Austin Dillon, Childress’ heir apparent, transitioned into a leadership role. He scored his first Cup win in 2017 and a subsequent victory the following year. But after nine-and-a-half seasons, transferring to the Playoffs five times and tallying four wins was all Dillon could provide.
Tyler Reddick’s short stint with the team provided a glimpse of what was possible at RCR. He scored three wins during his final season in 2022—the most of any driver since Harvick’s farewell a decade ago.
But since Busch took over the No. 8 Chevy this season and scored three wins in the first 15 races of 2023, RCR finally appears to be off life support. How ironic, considering a dozen years earlier, Richard Childress asked an employee to hold his watch in an effort to teach the then 28-year-old Busch a lesson.
“Yeah, we put that totally behind us,” Childress said. “We talked about it. That was one of the first things we talked about. That’s history. We’ve both grown a lot. I know I’ve grown up. I’ve grown older, but I’ve grown up, too…
“We won a lot with Harvick, won a lot with (Dale) Earnhardt. Our plan is to win a lot with Kyle, and not only be a contender for that championship. If we make the Final Four, we’ll have a shot at winning it, for sure.”
From the moment of the RCR press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame nearly nine months ago, naming Busch as the driver of the No. 8, there’s been a sense of renewal at the Welcome, N.C.-based campus. Acquiring the sport’s winningest active driver was quite the coup. And R.C. celebrated the moment with—what else—a shiny new Rolex for the two-time Cup champ.
Two races into the new season, Busch won at Auto Club Speedway. His second victory came at Talladega Superspeedway in April eight races later. On Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, Busch won from the pole—the first time the 38-year-old racer had claimed the top qualifying spot since Phoenix Raceway in 2019.
Could Busch have anticipated this level of success so quickly after joining the team?
“Yes, we’ve had some really good runs,” Busch said. “We’ve had three wins, obviously, which is great. But we’ve also had some of the dismal days as well. We’ve had peaks and valleys so far this year.
“We just got to find the greater planes, if you will, and level this thing out a little bit. It’s great to be able to score a win here in St. Louis for Randall’s (crew chief, Burnett) hometown, that’s really good. So the team is really on a high. The whole organization has been really fighting hard, doing a great job.
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 3CHI Chevrolet, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 03, 2023 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)“Everybody back at RCR, at the shop, ECR, the engine shop, has been doing great. Just been so welcoming and really cool to be able to go out there and succeed for them and to give them back what all the hard work they’re putting in is doing.”
After a dismal 15th and final season at Joe Gibbs Racing, where Busch amassed two Cup titles and 56 of his 63 wins, he has brought new life to an organization with a half-century pedigree that includes six Cup championships, 116 wins and now Kyle Busch as a driver.
The potential isn’t lost on the employees at RCR and Busch is feeding off of the vibe.
“It all kind of stems on the horse you’re riding,” Busch said. “We were horrible at the All-Star Race. That was probably our worst roll. Being able to come out here and have a good run at a short track…just goes to show that we’re really putting our head down and digging in and trying to figure out what it’s going to be able to take to get me comfortable to make me fast, right?
“You got to have a good horse to ride. So far this year we’ve had a few. Guys have been doing a great job. Last week at Coke 600, we were fast as well. I think I kind of hurt the car a little bit when I spun out. We still drove back to second. Didn’t have anything for the 12 (winner Ryan Blaney). Was a great night for us. Just continuing to show good speed each week.”
Busch’s three wins this season tie William Byron for most on the tour. His seventh-place position in the point standings proves there’s room for improvement.
As for his eye-opening exchange with Childress at Kansas Speedway in 2011?
“People change,” Busch said. “People grow up. Whatever happens. The relationship that I have now, and the effort that’s gone into securing me, to get me to go to RCR, the discussions and talks that happened there. Obviously, being able to get there and have some really strong runs, winning right out of the gate at Fontana was big for us, a good morale booster. Just proves them right, right? Gives them greater satisfaction in me being part of the team.
“It’s been fun to have that group around. They know when we go to places, we struggle at places, that we all want to get better, right? I could do a better job most of the time. Randall and the guys can do a better job as well. We just all continue to strive and work hard and bounce off of each other in order to make sure we can come out and have the best possible stuff every time we hit the racetrack.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer.
