During a question-and-answer session with reporters on Friday afternoon, Austin Dillon made a comment about Richard Childress Racing teammate Kyle Busch that raised eyebrows.
“I talked to Kyle, and his next win is going to be the biggest of his career, if you think of it the right way,” Dillon said.
That’s a bold assertion, given that Busch has amassed 63 NASCAR Cup Series victories during a career that has consumed more than two decades and produced two Cup championships. The list includes victories in such Crown Jewel events as the Brickyard 400 and Coca-Cola 600.
However, Busch is currently in the throes of a winless streak that reached 103 races last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. That’s what prompted the comment from Dillon, who has a vested interest in the organization founded by his grandfather, Richard Childress.
“All the stuff that has been said and brought up over this year, I feel like if he puts his head down and takes that team back to Victory Lane, that’s going to be the biggest win of his career,” Dillon said.
“So, that’s what we’re all fighting for. We want to see that. As a competitor, that’s what I’d like to see.”
Busch won three races in 2023, his first season with RCR and the second year of NASCAR’s Gen 7 race car. His victory at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on June 4, 2023 was his most recent.
After a barren first 10 races of 2026, RCR announced a crew chief change on Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet, with Andy Street replacing Jim Pohlman in that vital role.
“We’ve got to put the train back on the tracks and have a direction of what we need to do in order to be able to go forward,” Busch said after finishing second in Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I feel like the 3 car (Dillon) has done a good job of that lately. Those guys are clicking on all cylinders and making things look good for them, and we’ve got to be able to do the same so we can carry our weight and help improve the program.”
Kyle Busch rolls off sixth Sunday, which means he’ll at least begin the afternoon close enough to the front to glare directly at the people currently ruining his mood. As for Dillon he didn’t post a qualifying lap because the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet developed engine trouble during practice Saturday. The team reported a strange engine noise after only three laps and pulled the car to the garage for an engine change, which prevented him from making a qualifying attempt Dillon will start 38th — dead last.
