You have heard enough grim narratives about Kyle Busch. His 19-year glorious skid screeched to an end and he finished 20th in the championship standings in 2024. It may appear that Rowdy has lost his previous mojo that fetched him two championships. However, he still has the racing flame burning inside him – he clinched two wings in this year’s Tulsa Shootout.

So most of the fingers may point to Richard Childress Racing for not catering to Busch’s needs in the NASCAR Cup Series. This possibility opens up a whole new set of avenues for Kyle Busch. There may be many teams that would be willing to rope in the 63-time Cup race winner – especially because his rivals are also not doing so well.

Do better prospects await Kyle Busch?

When Kyle Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing, his fans were more than surprised. He grabbed 56 of his 64 trophies while waving the JGR banner – but had to leave due to sponsorship issues. His initial run at RCR was stellar, as he fetched three wins at the start of 2023. But after his Gateway win, Busch ran into a drab streak. A stunning 57-race winless streak hangs over Rowdy, somebody who used to contend for wins on a weekly basis. So it is very possible that Busch would look for a change of air.

Kyle Busch’s RCR contract lasts until the end of 2025, and there is a high chance of extension. However, NASCAR expert Eric Estepp cast his doubts, especially after Busch professed his willingness to return to JGR or Hendrick Motorsports. “When Busch said those things in summer about Hendrick and Gibbs, I don’t think that was him just being blunt. I don’t think that was an unintentional slip of the tongue. I think he was putting feelers out there.” Estepp continued with examples: “He knew that the 19 car could become available. Those Alex Bowman rumors, what about the 48? …This year, the same questions can be asked about the 48. And instead of the 19, what about the 11 at Gibbs?”

Every Hendrick fan knows the rough waters Alex Bowman is wading through. Over the past three seasons, the No. 48 driver has collected two trophies. Meanwhile, his stellar teammates are on a wholly different plane. Kyle Larson has visited Victory Lane 13 times, William Byron 11 times, and Chase Elliott 6 times. Similarly, Denny Hamlin’s prospects took a dive bomb as well – long-time sponsor FedEx bid adieu and Mavis Tires did so without any news. Additionally, Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart shifted to a competition director role at JGR. So Kyle Busch may very well be looking for prospects in these teams. That should be ringing alarm bells for Richard Childress’ outfit.

Busch may have the upper hand

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Time and again in 2024, we have heard about speeding penalties, pit crew shuffles, and an underperforming No. 8 Chevrolet. Kyle Busch washed up against 8 DNFs in 2024, including chaotic wrecks like in Pocono and Talladega. These reports did not look so good for Richard Childress‘ fold. Now that his team is entering a new season, Busch’s fresh prospects should also ring alarm bells. After all, we are talking about the great Rowdy, who owns 231 NASCAR National Series victories, the highest achiever among all drivers. 2024 may not have responded so well to his glorious intentions, but Busch always has a second chance considering his fairly young age.

That is what Eric Estepp pointed out in his YouTube video. He drew parallels with other driver who won well into their forties. “The pressure is on Richard Childress Racing to convince Kyle Busch, a future Hall of Famer, a two-time champion still in or very near his prime…He’s not even 40 years old yet. Harvick, Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Truex – kept winning races well into their 40s. Denny Hamlin is doing it right now. Kyle Busch may not be at the peak of his powers, but he is still very very very good.”

Evidently, not all narratives point to a dismal future for Kyle Busch. The two-time champion can very well swing back into form next week at Daytona International Speedway.