2026 will be a crucial year for Kyle Busch as he looks to bounce back after a few rough seasons. He struggled to find meaningful finishes, something he hopes to achieve this time around. Unfortunately, Mark Martin has a grim verdict on his problems.
Veteran driver Mark Martin felt the problem was not with Busch, but with his team: Richard Childress Racing.
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Busch joined RCR in 2023 after spending more than a decade with Joe Gibbs Racing. The transition proved successful in the first year as he won three races and qualified for the playoffs. But the years 2024 and 2025 have been embarrassing and humiliating, to say the least. He finished 20th and 21st respectively and failed to reach Victory Lane once.
Martine said in an interview with Charlie Marlow, “It’s not like they’re not trying, but their performance on the track, I’m talking about RCRs, is not where it should be. First of all, that’s the bottom line. 100%.”
Busch has an influence on how the car is set up, so Martin agrees that he could be to a small extent responsible for the lack of performance. But from his perspective, the main blame lies with the team.
Martin continued: “He’s so far ahead now that he has to overdrive, and he overdrives his car when he’s within range of something, and it’s just too much. Kyle is way better than he’s shown the last two years.”
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This is something all NASCAR drivers and fans can agree on. Busch is one of the greatest of all time, and his recent performances just don’t reflect that.
How Busch hopes to change his destiny
Jim Pohlman was the team leader who guided Justin Allgaier to his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship in 2024. He has tremendous respect in these circles and is an extremely talented leader. In 2026, he will join Busch’s crew to lead and bring the crew back to the top.
Busch believes this addition will be beneficial not only to him but to the RCR as a whole. He said last October, “You don’t hire a guy based on his results in a Cup car. That remains to be seen and done, but hopefully he’s the guy who can lead us in the right direction, not only with the 8 car, but with RCR as a whole.”
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Pohlman, who is also a big fan of Rowdy, is excited about what can be achieved. Hopefully their partnership ends with Busch in Victory Lane again.
The position ‘Not where he needs to be’: Mark Martin blames RCR for Kyle Busch’s struggles appeared first on The rush to sport.
