Beating expectations was the theme of Kyle Busch’s debut season with Richard Childress Racing, as the pair wrapped up the year 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
Over the offseason last year, Busch announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing — the team he’d been with for 15 years — and then signed a multi-year contract to drive for RCR.
While the Las Vegas native made the playoffs with RCR, he was eliminated during the Round of 12 cutoff race.
Busch wheeled the No. 8 Chevrolet to victory lane three times over the course of the season — his highest win total since 2019, when he won five races and the championship driving the No. 18 for JGR.
His first triumph of the year came at California’s Auto Club Speedway in February, his second at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April and his final was at Illinois’ World Wide Technology Raceway in June.
The 38-year-old also racked up 10 top fives, 17 top 10s and led 241 laps in 36 races.
“I would not have expected as good as we fired off — almost winning the Clash, almost winning the Daytona 500 and winning Fontana (Auto Club Speedway),” Busch said prior to the Round of 12. “That was a really, really good kick in the pants.”
Busch will dive into his 20th full-time season in the Cup Series next February at the Clash at the Coliseum.