RCR’s ugly season start
Richard Childress Racing is stuttering through 2026 with zero top-10s and an average finish of 21.17 — analysts point to frequent crew-chief changes and lack of race pace as core issues for a historically strong outfit (sportskeeda.com). The slump is notable given Kyle Busch’s prior pole at Daytona and recent flashes from the team’s drivers, making this a story to watch as the season unfolds (sportskeeda.com).
Richard Childress Racing announced a competition leadership overhaul on Jan. 14, 2026 that installed Mike Dillon as chief operating officer, John Klausmeier as technical director and Andy Street as performance director. (rcrracing.com) Jim Pohlman was named Kyle Busch’s crew chief for 2026 and RCR noted he brings more than 120 crew-chief starts and led Justin Allgaier to the 2024 Xfinity Series championship. (rcrracing.com) RCR’s press release also assigns Andy Street to the newly created performance director role while noting he will serve as crew chief for the part-time No. 33 Cup entry in 2026. (rcrracing.com) Randall Burnett, who had been Busch’s crew chief since 2023, is scheduled to move to Trackhouse Racing to be Connor Zilisch’s crew chief after the 2025 season. (nbcsports.com) Kyle Busch secured the pole for the 2026 Daytona 500 with a qualifying lap of 49.006 seconds at 183.651 mph, showing single-lap speed despite the team’s challenges. (motorsport.com) RCR’s official standings page lists Kyle Busch with 106 points in 23rd position and Austin Dillon with 93 points in 26th after six Cup starts in the 2026 season. (rcrracing.com) NASCAR’s 2026 team preview recorded that Busch has gone through three different crew chiefs since the start of the 2025 season, a turnover figure documented before the year began. (nascar.com)
