Busch faces 100‑race drought

Kyle Busch’s most recent Cup victory came June 4, 2023 — he won the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway for his 63rd career Cup win. (nascar.com) Since that St. Louis triumph, Busch has gone without a Cup win for the stretch most outlets are counting as roughly 95 races. (ovalinsider.com) Richard Childress Racing exercised the option on Busch’s deal on May 24, 2025, formally keeping him under contract with the No. 8 team through the 2026 season. (nascar.com) RCR announced Jim Pohlman will serve as Busch’s crew chief beginning in 2026 — a change made public Oct. 16, 2025 after longtime shot-caller Randall Burnett departed for Trackhouse Racing. (rcrracing.com) Through the opening stretch of the 2026 Cup season, Busch has recorded no wins and sits outside the top 20 in several published points tables; team and driver tallies on RCR’s site list Busch with 106 points in the early standings. (driveraverages.com) Busch has publicly acknowledged mistakes and said the team must “get better,” remarks that have been reported alongside commentary about whether the current slump is affecting RCR’s longer-term plans. (profootballnetwork.com)