Kyle Busch has revealed that retirement has previously been a serious consideration for him, but the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion still loves racing enough to want to stay. The driver, who turns 40 later this year, is in the final year of his contract with Richard Childress Racing, so questions regarding his future are aplenty right now.
“It was a consideration three years ago,” Busch told Chris Myers of FOX Sports on Sunday. “I think daily, you kind of work through those things and thoughts and where you wanna be and what you want to do.
“When you’re still out here being able to enjoy what you’re doing, working with your team and continuing to try to improve RCR and improve the program and get it to where we all want it and put ourselves in Victory Lane, we’re gonna keep working at it.”
Busch joined RCR in 2023 after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing – a stint that came to an end when they failed to secure a replacement when M&M Mars left the sport. After 56 victories with the team, his leaving was one of the largest stories of the sport.
2024 however, was a disaster for RCR, with Busch not taking a single win throughout the season and missing the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Part of this is the Next Gen car, a machine that he has been struggling with.
“I’ve had some long conversations with Chase Elliott because we grew up the same way,” he said. “Like, racing super late models across the country and those style of cars. And I’m like, ‘Man, have you found this thing to just be a beast? Like a challenge?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ve had to change my driving style.’ Just like what you just said. I’m like, I don’t know how to do that.
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
“I have a feel that I’m looking for and when we get that feel I can have the same feel as the old car and be fast with it, but dude, trying to find that is like a needle in a haystack.”
As recently as February earlier this year, Busch made it clear that RCR needs to provide him with a competitive car.
“I would say you gotta win, right? Unfortunately, we weren’t able to win last year,” Busch told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “So, being able to get back to Victory Lane, being able to build on some consistency—getting those top-fives, top-tens, getting that number higher than what it was last year—is definitely paramount.”
For now, Busch is focused on a Victory Lane return with RCR. It’s clear he hasn’t lost his will to win.
Photos from Martinsville – Race
In this article
Alex Harrington
NASCAR Cup
Kyle Busch
Richard Childress Racing
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