Kyle Busch is arguably going through the worst season of his NASCAR Cup Series career. His second year with Richard Childress Racing was supposed to see the No. 8 team competing and contending for wins. But, in reality, they’ve fallen down the pecking order, desperately hoping for one great outing to secure a playoff berth.

Clearly, something needed to change at RCR to salvage the rest of the season. That change came with the departure of Andy Petree, the veteran crew chief, and executive vice president of competition. With Petree’s exit, Keith Rodden has stepped in as the interim competition director for the team. So, after this leadership shake-up, has there been a noticeable improvement in performance, as we observed at Pocono?

Well, despite an unfortunate end to the Nashville race, where he was collected by the out-of-fuel No. 5 car of Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch managed a P9 finish at Chicago. While the results are not something to write home about, there seems to be progress with how ‘Rowdy’ is racing.

As EssentiallySports, the official media partners of Real American Beer, touched down in Pocono for the weekend, our team had an exclusive one-on-one with Kyle Busch. The veteran driver didn’t hold back, stating that RCR needed a complete overhaul in how they approached their race program. Our team caught up with the RCR ace ahead of the Pocono Cup race, where he candidly shared his take on the shake-up in the team’s hierarchy and what it means for their performance going forward.

Speaking of Andry Petree, who served as the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt’s championship-winning campaigns in 1993 and 1994 before transitioning to the role of executive vice president, he has played a crucial role at RCR. However, the way things have been unfolding this season, there was a need for fresh direction and leadership. Perhaps adopting an approach that suits modern-day NASCAR racing, along with the Next-Gen car?

On June 25, Richard Childress Racing & Co. released this statement: “Long-time Richard Childress Racing competition executive Andy Petree has announced his retirement [from the team].” Almost three weeks on, Busch did appreciate the efforts Petree put into the team with his expertise. But, at the same time, when EssentiallySports’ Bharat Aggarwal asked him what impact the change has had on the No. 8 team, Rowdy acknowledged the urgency of transitioning and elevating the structure of their race program.

“I still think Andy brought a lot to the program and did a really good job. He worked hard with the things that he knew to do. I think we’re just kind of trying to change a little bit of culture, a little bit of philosophy, and a little bit of things, and scratching new surfaces that haven’t been scratched yet,” Busch told Bharat Aggarwal.

Mentioning the unexplored areas, Busch said that is where Keith Rodden is, and that is what they are working on together. “I was talking to Keith a little during practice, trying him to show some of the data and some of the stuff that we can pinpoint on where we can get better,” he concluded. Not only has the No. 8 car run into problems with performance on the track, but it hasn’t been favored by Lady Luck either. It’s like if something can go wrong with a driver or a team, it’ll most likely be Kyle Busch who bears the brunt.

That said, Kyle Busch is currently on a 41-race winless streak, but if there’s one track where past memories could lead to a miracle, Busch would hope it’s Pocono. After all, he’s visited Victory Lane four times here (2017–2019, 2021), and another visit this year would ensure his spot in the playoffs. Right now, the No. 8 driver is 19th in the playoff standings, 98 points behind the cutline. So, what’s next, and how do the driver and his team plan to make the playoffs?

Kyle Busch is looking to keep his 20-year winning streak alive in 2024

With just six races left in the regular season, of course, Busch can make a Hail Mary attempt to get into the playoffs. But with just four spots remaining, it might look like a distant dream. However, there’s more than just playoff qualification on the line for the two-time champion. It’s his pride and the record of winning at least one Cup Series race for the 20th consecutive year.

However, from where will that win come for ‘Rowdy’? He feels that he might be able to keep this streak alive, thanks to Daytona. “I would have thought Indy, but again, our Indy test was going good and didn’t end well. So other than that, obviously Daytona’s a crapshoot; anybody’s race there so I would say those two, probably Daytona.” He told this to the media, including EssentiallySports, ahead of the Pocono Cup race.

It remains to be seen whether the new changes at RCR help turn the tide in favor of their star driver. While Rowdy’s chances of making the playoffs look grim, he just needs that one race to go his way.