Kyle Busch’s struggles at the Bowman Gray Cook Out Clash have once again sparked conversations about whether his move to Richard Childress Racing (RCR) was a career misstep. Once considered a perennial championship contender, Busch has found himself battling just to stay competitive—a far cry from his dominant days at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

Veteran NASCAR driver and Analyst Kenny Wallace didn’t hold back in his assessment of Busch’s situation, pinpointing RCR as a key reason for the driver’s ongoing woes. As Busch endured a frustrating race at Bowman Gray, Wallace’s comments about Rowdy being ‘with the wrong team’ rang louder than ever.

A Struggling Superstar: Busch’s Downward Spiral

At one point, Kyle Busch was NASCAR’s ultimate villain—booed by crowds, feared by competitors, and unstoppable on the track. But his move from JGR to RCR has seen a decline in his performance, leaving him unable to fight for wins the way he once did. Charlie, a NASCAR analyst, highlighted Busch’s importance to the sport: “I feel like NASCAR is always better when Kyle Busch is competing to win races, which he hasn’t really done in the last year or so.”

Busch’s fans, as well as those who once loved to root against him, can agree—NASCAR needs Rowdy running up front. But that hasn’t happened, and his performance at the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was yet another example of his struggles. Busch’s night at Bowman Gray got off to a rough start when he was involved in an early-race collision that set him back. As the race went on, it became clear that his No. 8 Chevrolet was simply not handling well. At one point, Busch’s frustration boiled over on the team radio: “Can’t ***king turn.”

This echoed Wallace’s comments about how much modern NASCAR relies on engineering rather than just driver talent. “Now they come out with this new Next Gen car, and it’s all based on engineers. So Kyle cannot make that up. So as great as Kyle Busch is, in a weird way, he’s with the wrong team now.” No amount of skill behind the wheel could make up for the fact that his car just wasn’t competitive. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott dominated the event, leading 171 of the 200 laps, while Busch struggled just to stay on the lead lap.

Wallace believes Busch’s career trajectory changed the moment he left JGR. The veteran analyst explained how Busch’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing wasn’t just about money—it was a gamble that didn’t pay off. “Kyle Busch wanted to keep making big money, and Joe Gibbs says, ‘I can’t pay you that, but I can pay you a little less. And the little less is still like millions’.” Kenny Wallace added.

Busch believed in his talent and thought he could win anywhere—but the reality of modern NASCAR’s team dynamics has proven otherwise. Wallace emphasized that Busch could have stayed at JGR alongside Denny Hamlin, remaining one of the sport’s biggest superstars. Instead, he bet on himself and RCR, and the results have been underwhelming. At Bowman Gray, that reality was on full display. Not only was Busch struggling, but his RCR teammate Austin Dillon was also off the pace.

The 2025 season is shaping up to be a crucial one for Busch. His frustrations at Bowman Gray reflect a deeper issue with his current situation—he’s a championship-caliber driver stuck with a mid-tier team. If Busch and RCR can’t figure things out, the question isn’t just whether he’ll win again, but whether he’ll look for a way out. Could a future move to a stronger organization be in the cards?

One thing is clear: NASCAR is better when Kyle Busch is competitive. But if his struggles continue, his time as a top-tier driver could be running out.

When Tony Stewart Also Left JGR But For Control Rather Than Money

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In 2008, Tony Stewart pulled a huge shocker in the world of NASCAR when he announced that he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing-one of the sport’s most dominant teams-to take co-ownership of a struggling mid-tier team called Haas CNC Racing. Many believed that the two-time Cup Series champion made a fatal decision to give up a seat at JGR, where he had garnered championships in 2002 and 2005. However, Stewart’s gamble paid off in a big way, transforming now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) into a NASCAR powerhouse.

Stewart had been with a highly competitive Toyota-backed operation at JGR; however, despite his success, he felt rather vexed that he wasn’t able to have a say over key team decisions. When Gene Haas, owner of Haas CNC Racing, offered him 50% ownership of his struggling Chevrolet team, Stewart saw an opportunity to build something of his own.

The move wasn’t risk-free—Haas CNC Racing had never won a Cup Series race, and leaving JGR meant giving up on the Toyota engines that were only just starting to dominate. Stewart was placing a bet on his leadership and his ability to bring in an elite roster to turn the company around.

SHR was more competitive in its first season under Stewart, a driver-owner in 2009. Stewart won four races and led the points standings for most of the regular season before ending up sixth in the championship. His leadership lent credibility to the team, helping it attract sponsors and other key personnel.

The final momentum came in 2011, when Stewart clinched five of the last ten races of the playoffs and won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship, claiming it in a dramatic tiebreaker against Carl Edwards. It was a defining moment that supported his bold move from JGR. Under Stewart, SHR became one of the best NASCAR teams in the sport, winning another championship with Kevin Harvick in 2014. The team expanded to multiple competitive entries, bringing in stars like Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, and Aric Almirola.

Kyle Busch could’ve hoped for a similar legacy with both his move to jump ships and starting his now sold-off own racing team KBM Motorsports. Alas! things haven’t quite panned out for him. He would like to get rid of his current nightmare and look to put a Daytona 500 win in his kit to turn things around.