Kyle Busch had been one of the big names to watch as NASCAR Cup Series free agency approached, with his Richard Childress Racing contract due to expire at the end of the 2026 season.
Then then unthinkable happened, and at the age of 41, Busch tragically lost his life due to sepsis brought on by a severe case of pneumonia in May.
It was later revealed by Richard Childress himself that Busch, despite having been linked to other destinations such as Spire Motorsports, had agreed to stay for what would have been a fifth season behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet in 2027; the official announcement had been slated for just two weeks after Busch passed away.
The team changed the No. 8 to No. 33 for the remainder of the year, and Austin Hill, who competes full-time for Childress' team in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, was named its full-time driver. However, the team stopped shy of confirming Busch's true replacement for 2027 and beyond.
One thing we do know is it won't be Jesse Love, the team's other O'Reilly Series driver who recently signed with Wood Brothers Racing to replace Josh Berry behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford next year.
As insensitive as it seems when it comes a situation that extends far beyond the race track, life will go on for RCR, just as it did after Dale Earnhardt's death. And I think we've already seen that, in a way, with Hill's emotional O'Reilly Series victory on Naval Base Coronado.
And with that, speculation has begun to heat up regarding who might become Austin Dillon's teammate next year.
New driver emerges as possible RCR candidate for 2027
Hill was always an unlikely permanent choice. He has been around the organization long enough that if he were the obvious shoo-in candidate, that announcement probably would have been made by now, and the only way that can change is if he absolutely wows everybody over the next 18 races, which probably isn't going to happen.
But one name to watch is Noah Gragson.
It's no secret that Gragson has struggled since his promotion to the Cup Series in 2023, and he's already with his third different team. He has been consistently beaten by Front Row Motorsports teammates Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland since joining the team in 2025, and his top finish through 18 starts this year is only ninth. He's 30th in points.
With Layne Riggs tearing it up for the team in the Craftsman Truck Series, coupled with the interesting yet hard to argue point that promotions directly from the Truck Series to the Cup Series, rather than from the O'Reilly Series to the Cup Series, have actually tended to work out better, he has emerged as the driver most likely to take Gragson's place in the No. 4 Ford.
Gragson could end up looking for his fourth team in five years, and Richard Childress Racing could be a perfect fit.
First of all, it would be a fitting nod to Busch, who gave Gragson his full-time NASCAR national series start in 2017 and 2018. Gragson drove a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck full-time in both seasons, winning twice total and securing second in the championship in 2018.
After that, he spent the next for years with Chevrolet's JR Motorsports in the O'Reilly Series, prior to his promotion to Legacy Motor Club. At that time, Legacy was still a Chevrolet team, and after the team confirmed a switch to Toyota for 2024, Toyota reportedly had every intention of replacing him even before the ever-so-convenient (and infamous) George Floyd meme came about.
Bottom line, he has a relatively strong relationship with Chevrolet, and that would undoubtedly be a plus when it comes to any potential RCR deal. He was also sponsored by Bass Pro Shops during his four years with JR Motorsports, and they are a longtime RCR partner.
Then there's the elephant in the room. Gragson has become a NASCAR journeyman, even only four years into his Cup Series career. He simply isn't a top-tier free agent; he certainly hasn't lived up to the hype he generated with his eight-win O'Reilly Series season in 2022.
But RCR isn't exactly in a spot, competitively speaking, where they are going to be attracting top-tier talent. You could make a case that they've been the weakest Chevrolet team not named Rick Ware Racing this season, with neither car in the top 27 in the owner standings and no top five finishes.
In that way, it could be a perfect fit: a young driver looking to rejuvenate his career, and a team looking to emerge from tragedy stronger than before.
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