Hamlin Questions Future of Two-Time Champion Kyle Busch's NASCAR Career

Charlotte, NC – Denny Hamlin, a prominent figure in NASCAR and host of the "Actions Detrimental" podcast, has expressed significant concern regarding the current performance trajectory of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, suggesting that the era of Busch’s consistent dominance may have already concluded. Hamlin’s observations, detailed on his podcast, point to a prolonged period of struggle for Busch since his move to Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2023, a stark contrast to his illustrious career.

The statistics paint a concerning picture. It has been 100 races and three years since Kyle Busch last visited Victory Lane, with his most recent win occurring at Gateway on June 4, 2023. This winless streak coincides with his tenure at RCR, where he pilots the No. 8 Chevrolet. During this period, his teammate, Austin Dillon, has achieved success, including two consecutive victories at Richmond Raceway. Hamlin highlighted this disparity, noting that Busch is not consistently outperforming Dillon, a performance level that Hamlin believes is incongruous with Busch’s Hall of Fame caliber.

"We keep talking about this, but the last couple of years (at Joe Gibbs Racing) was not good; it’s been like this for five years," Hamlin stated on his podcast. "You’re a Hall of Fame Mount Rushmore driver, and if you’re one of the greatest, then carry better than your teammate that’s only won 10 races. I think he should be able to do that, but it’s not happening."

Hamlin further elaborated on the challenges Busch appears to be facing with the NextGen car platform, which was introduced in 2022. He suggested that Busch "just doesn’t know how to consistently get speed out of the NextGen car." Hamlin recalled that Busch’s three wins in the 2023 season, the first year of the NextGen car’s widespread adoption, may have been a product of a transitional period where teams were still experimenting with setups. Since then, Hamlin contends, the increased parity within the series has placed a greater onus on driver execution.

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"This is just my opinion, and I can’t hold a helmet to Kyle Busch on talent, but I just think that this is not new," Hamlin continued. "He’s struggled for five years now, so we just have to be honest about our expectations. If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane, you’re going to be very disappointed. I just think that, until we change the car or something changes, something has to change, and I have no idea. I’m not in his shoes. I’m not his crew chief. I’m not his engineer, and I’m not his team owner. I’m not in the weeds. I’m just a podcaster that happens to be on the race track around him, and I can say it’s not working. I don’t have the answers, and I think we have to live in this reality for the time being."

The parallels drawn by Hamlin to Jimmie Johnson’s career decline after his peak are notable. Johnson, a seven-time Cup Series champion, experienced a significant drop in performance following his championship run in 2016, a shift that occurred relatively abruptly. Hamlin alluded to this, suggesting that "sometimes the light switch goes off at different times. I don’t know."

The uncertainty surrounding Busch’s future extends beyond his current performance. His contract with RCR is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024 season, and Hamlin expressed doubt about potential landing spots. A return to Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch’s former team where he spent 15 seasons and secured two championships, is highly improbable given Hamlin’s current position as a driver there. While teams like Spire Motorsports might present an opening, Hamlin reiterated his concern about Busch’s inability to consistently outpace a teammate like Dillon in comparable equipment.

Hamlin also touched upon Busch’s approach to car setup, suggesting that his "hands-on" involvement might be counterproductive in the current competitive landscape. He posited that Busch’s tendency to offer specific setup changes, rather than just providing feedback on how the car is driving, could be hindering his progress. "Maybe in the short term," Hamlin mused, "Maybe he just says, ‘I am going to give you feedback and just drive the car,’ because it’s the driver’s job to send them in a direction, but that doesn’t mean telling them what to change." Hamlin believes Busch would be better served by focusing solely on the car’s feel and performance, allowing his crew chief and engineers to handle the technical adjustments.

Despite the candid assessment, Hamlin conveyed a sense of personal disappointment in seeing a driver of Busch’s caliber and popularity struggling. "So I don’t know," Hamlin concluded. "I genuinely don’t like seeing one of the most polarizing and popular and talented guys in the sport running where he is at right now. But this is the new reality we have to set ourselves in until we see any kind of change."

Kyle Busch, often referred to as "Rowdy," has amassed 60 Cup Series victories, placing him sixth on the all-time wins list. His career has been marked by aggressive driving, relentless determination, and a unique ability to connect with a significant portion of the NASCAR fanbase, making him one of the sport’s most recognizable and, at times, controversial figures. His current winless streak is the longest of his illustrious career, and the ongoing discussion among peers like Hamlin underscores the critical juncture at which his NASCAR journey appears to have arrived. The upcoming races will be closely watched as the sport and its participants grapple with the potential implications of this unprecedented period of performance for a driver of Busch’s stature.