From the great Dale Earnhardt’s reign of terror that gripped the grid with the late legend snagging multiple titles for the Chevy camp to its current downtrodden stature, Richard Childress Racing’s fall from grace is something hardcore fans cannot digest even today. After “The Intimidator” racked up his six titles, not even Kevin Harvick could bring the team back to the top until Richard Childress roped in “Rowdy” Kyle Busch in a massive money maneuver last season.
And for the initial phase, the 2-time Cup Series champion seemed ready to steamroll the competition with his new team backing him. In fact, Busch racked up three impressive wins, promising fans a resurgence of the RCR Chevy, dominating the field at Auto Club Speedway, Talladega superspeedway, and his final assault at Gateway.
However, as the season crossed the halfway mark, the #8 RCR team quickly lost its steam and found itself hanging by a thread, with the point deficit mounting more pressure on the young Busch. But the driver reveals that he has found the sweet spot, mentioning what it takes to pull the team back from the dire straits as he takes off on a hunting trip with his outdoorsman boss, Childress.
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Kyle Busch aims to end RCR’s championship drought as the “Rowdy” gears up for 2024
2023 was a significant year for Busch. For one, he ended his ties with his long-time team, Joe Gibbs Racing, with which he was associated for 15 years that earned him two titles. The 2015 and 2019 Cup Series title holder, after a tumultuous 2022 season with his former partner Toyota, decided to part ways after his partnership with the JGR hit a rough patch, unable to seal a sponsorship.
The community was, in fact, stunned to see the “Rowdy,” who had a previous history with Richard Childress, join his side for 2023. On the flip side, Busch’s arrival at the Chevy camp rattled the cage as more sponsors lined up to support the 2-time champion while the downtrodden team got a solid driver in the seat, one that could take them back to the top.
Talking about Busch and his team, the driver recently went on a hunting party on the outskirts of North Carolina with his boss, Childress, getting deeper into the culture at RCR. Speaking to Theathletic.com’s Jordan Bianchi. He said, “I really thought about it when we won Gateway,” Busch said about his last victory in June. “I was like, ‘Damn, OK, we can do this. We got this if we can get three more wins through the rest of the year. Sh*t, that’s going to be six wins on the year.”
WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Busch faces another steep fall as they face a big loss of crucial sponsor
While Busch was vocal about the team’s inconsistency and flaws, the driver still has faith in his team, looking forward to the future to make a significant turnaround. He said, “We learned a lot. I learned a ton about the new people and the new organization that I’m with. It was just interesting to put all that together and build on a perspective.”
Above all, though the driver knows the road ahead is challenging and filled with hurdles, he still firmly believes in the RCR magic, resting his faith in his team and working together to make the most.
Busch and RCR land new anchor sponsor for their 2024 campaign
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The NASCAR world took notice when news about Busch’s larger-than-life sponsor and anchor sponsor for last year, 3Chi, surfaced on the internet. Fox reporter Bob Pockrass broke the news to the community when he shared it on his X handle. He wrote, “No more 3Chi sponsorship for Busch.” While their parting has not yet been confirmed, Busch’s new sponsor has been named.
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Kyle Busch anchor sponsor for this year in Cup will be nicotine pouch company ITG brand zone.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 18, 2024
“3Chi wasn’t on Kyle Busch’s uniform today but apparently door is still open for them to return,” wrote Pockrass before he shared the new update. RCR has found a new anchor partner for the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Series team for the 2024 season as zone Premium Nicotine Pouches joins the organization.
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Reflecting on the new partnership, Torrey Galida, president of Richard Childress Racing, said, “We are proud to forge a partnership in another new product category for NASCAR and are looking forward to helping zone build brand awareness and introduce adult nicotine consumers to their premium nicotine pouches.”