Kyle Busch Admits New Championship Format Will Expose RCR’s Weakness

Two times NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch admitted how the new format will make 2026 much more challenging for RCR.

Kyle Busch Admits New Championship Format Will Expose RCR’s Weakness

Kyle Busch (Via IMAGO)

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The 2026 NASCAR season will see the start of a new era as the sport will enter the 16-driver Chase system to crown the champion, abandoning the controversial playoffs. It is set to make the winner legitimate again, as consistency will be rewarded more over clutch wins. It will change how every team approach racing, with the championship in line.

Two times title winner Kyle Busch shared his thoughts on the how the drivers will race under the new format with every point, including stage wins mattering more than ever. This will make qualification significant than it has been in the playoffs era as the racers needs to start upfront to start earning points from stage one.

We’ll see how it plays out, but obviously everybody’s going to look toward the regular season and maximizing all the stage points, things like that. Points racing, basically. That lends itself to having to qualify good on Saturdays in order to be up there, up front, holding onto your track position for the first stage and getting that first stage point.

Kyle Busch said via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Further talking about the point, the champion driver admitted that this factor is going to expose RCR as they haven’t been good enough during qualifying in the Next-Gen era. He asserted that he and Childress’ crew need to get better on how to take advantage of stage racing, as well as maximizing performance in qualifying.

That’s probably our No. 1 pullback with RCR is we don’t tend to qualify good and hold onto the first stage points. That’s where we really get hurt throughout the season is just our stage points and how much we have there. We’ve got to get better on all that. We’ll see.

Kyle Busch added.

NASCAR Insider doesn’t think Kyle Busch will win a race in 2026 and might exit RCR

Senior NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass, in the recent episode of the Beating and Banging podcast, shared his thoughts on how good Kyle Busch will be in the 2026 season with new crew chief Jim Pullman leading the No:8 team. He doesn’t think they are strong enough to get back winning races this year.

Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle
Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle (Via @KyleBusch/X)

Obviously, new crew chief with Jim Pullman, where is RCR going to be? I’ll say, no [race win], this year. I was wrong last year. Maybe I’ll be wrong this year, but I don’t have as much faith this year as last year.

Bob Pockrass said on Beating and Banging.

The insider sees this as a year rebuilding for the team and pointed out that their primary goals will be come close to winning races as possible. This might inspire Busch to exit the team ahead of 2027, as with half of the field going out of contract after 2026 there will be some big moves and openings.

I think it’s almost a little bit of rebuilding, and we’ll see how close they are…I think so. I certainly think so [that he could possibly leave RCR], and it could depend on where there are a lot of drivers more than half the field who don’t have contracts for 2027.

Bob Pockrass added.

Kyle Busch should leave RCR if they can’t give him a car good enough to win and he has solid opportunity elsewhere. He is in the final years of his racing career and it should not end winless, damaging his NASCAR legacy.

Also Read: “We Got Away for a Reason!” Kyle Busch Questions NASCAR’s Return to Chase Format