Kyle Busch‘s unlucky streak seems to be never-ending. The star-studded driver fell out of luck after his last Cup Series win at Gateway last year. He entered a drab streak that is still continuing, and due to this, he found himself out of the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. As Busch tries to piece together his NASCAR fortune, it seems that his Australian ambition fell apart as well. Meanwhile, a prominent NASCAR OEM, Toyota, is making its way to Australia instead.

Supercars has lent prominent drivers to NASCAR, and right on the top of the lot is Shane van Gisbergen. Busch was supposed to start the reverse process, but it got postponed. Yet at the same time, the Australian series is speeding up the entry of a top car manufacturer in NASCAR.

Busch loses track position to Toyota

The Richard Childress Racing driver’s recent lack of speed is no secret. A mysterious curse seems to hang over the No. 8 Chevrolet this year, as it somehow cannot overtake its rivals or ends up in a last-lap wreck. But along with his fast rivals, Kyle Busch could not catch up with Toyota as well. A few days ago, his entry into the Adelaide 500, Supercars’ premier event, stood canceled due to time constraints. Yet at the same time, the Australian series is preparing to welcome NASCAR’s top OEM.

Serving the likes of NASCAR greats like Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, Toyota is all set to hone rising road course racers in the land down under. According to a recent report, Toyota will join Supercars, likely with its Supra model, in 2026. The Walkinshaw Group, having Ford under its arm, is behind this project. What’s more, SVG’s alma mater series has long chased Toyota considering its global presence and stronghold as a top-selling manufacturer in Australia.

The Japanese automotive brand already has links to the Oceanic country. Toyota holds a long history in rallying and more recently in circuit racing with the GR Cup using the Toyota 86. Since 2020, Supercars has allied with two manufacturers: Nissan and Ford. Now the 2026 timeline falls in place with Supercars’ ongoing broadcast negotiations, with the existing deal up at the end of next year. This would elevate Toyota’s global presence, which is already graced by NASCAR, the World Rally Championship, and the World Endurance Championship.

This may produce a harsh impact on Kyle Busch’s ambitions. The sting may be greater, especially because of the huge efforts started last year.

Fall in numbers, fall in importance

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The hype drummed up surrounding Kyle Larson’s IndyCar entry was close to phenomenal. After all, Hendrick Motorsports was hosting arguably the best motorsports athlete in the US at present. In comparison, Kyle Busch’s Supercars entry lost fanfare, especially because of his reduced performance. After achieving three Cup victories last year, the 63-time Cup winner ran into a blind streak. Even at the end of 2023, when Richard Childress went to Australia to talk about the plan, things looked hopeful.

Australian expat Andrew Dickerson was behind the Supercars’ project and looked forward to Kyle Busch’s entry. He knew that SVG’s remarkable NASCAR entry would not be replicated, but at least Busch would learn things. “If he could run mid-pack, I think that’s a win. But the main thing for that from our point of view would be to make him better for when we come back (to the US). That’s what it’s all about: winning Cup races, winning a Cup championship for RCR. So if we can use this to help us get better, that’s how we get the gain.”

Yet Kyle Busch could not salvage a win until the present day, hence Toyota beat him at the race to secure a spot in Supercars. With Supercars prospects looking bleak, Busch can do nothing but focus on redeeming his NASCAR position.