It has been nearly two years since Kyle Busch won a NASCAR Cup Series race, and throughout what ended up being his first career winless season in 2024, there were rumors that his stint at Richard Childress Racing, which he joined from Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023, would be coming to an early end.
Busch won three races before the halfway mark of the 2023 Cup Series season, but he hasn't won since, bringing an end to a record-breaking 19-year win streak.
There had been rumors about him joining Spire Motorsports for 2025, given his association with the team after selling the assets of Kyle Busch Motorsports to the organization after 2023. He competes in five Truck Series races for the team each year, and unlike Richard Childress Racing, they appear to be on an upward trajectory on the Cup side.
But Busch initially signed a three-year deal with Richard Childress Racing, and he did indeed return for year number three, even though Spire Motorsports did indeed undergo a driver lineup shakeup.
Kyle Busch landing spot ruled out for 2026
Given Riley Herbst's lack of performance at 23XI Racing, a team capable of winning races and running at the front with both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, there had been talks of Busch potentially replacing Herbst behind the wheel of the No. 35 Toyota in 2026.
The move would have reunited Busch with Toyota, as he would have been competing for former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin. Hamlin co-owns the team along with NBA legend Michael Jordan.
And it would have allowed him to be somewhat of a stopgap option for 23XI Racing, giving them a reliable and far more productive veteran driver in the third car as development driver Corey Heim either continues to develop in the lower national series or be leased out to Toyota's Legacy Motor Club as they eye their own expansion to three cars.
Heim currently competes full-time for Toyota's TRICON Garage in the Truck Series.
On paper, it all made sense. But Busch put pen to paper with his current team instead, confirming a return to the No. 8 Chevrolet for 2026.
It's a significant move on multiple levels. Busch is set to continue driving where he is now, at the team with which he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012 last year, and now there is still no clear frontrunner to join Reddick and Wallace in what should be considered one of the most competitive available rides in the garage.