Veteran Crew Chief Randall Burnett is set to leave Richard Childress Racing at season’s end for a spot at Trackhouse Racing with 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidate Connor Zilisch.
NEWS: Welcome to The House, Randall Burnett!
He joins as @ConnorZilisch's crew chief for 2026. pic.twitter.com/cbrVi9vcIs— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) September 23, 2025
Burnett has been with RCR at the Cup Series level since 2020, when he called the shots for Tyler Reddick during the driver’s rookie season. Prior to that period, Burnett established himself in the Xfinity Series with RCR beginning in 2017, ultimately winning the 2019 Series title with Reddick.
After the pair’s first two seasons in Cup together, Reddick and Burnett won three races in the driver’s breakout 2022 season, but finished a disappointing 14th in points. Upon Reddick’s abrupt exit from RCR prior to 2023, Burnett remained atop the box for the No. 8 to call the shots for the newly signed Kyle Busch. Since then, the two have won three races, all in their first season together.
The shift to Trackhouse will see Burnett paired with the most anticipated Cup Series Rookie in recent memory. Through 26 races in his 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie season, Zilisch has won eight, technically nine, races, and has an average finish of 8.3.
The 19-year-old will take over duties for Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse, though his car number is yet to be announced.
Despite his six wins at RCR, the 2024 and 2025 seasons have not fared well for Burnett or Kyle Busch. The two failed to win a race in 2024, and, through 30 races this season, the duo have failed to match their counting stats from last season, while bringing home the same 18.3 average finish.
After Busch’s most recent win at WWT Raceway in 2023, the two have had a 12.4 average finish in the 87 races since that win. In those races, the two have had a 17.9 average finish and three second-place finishes. Last season also marked the end of two impressive streaks for Busch, ending his annual winning streak that dated back to 2005, and marked the first time the driver failed to make the current version of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Throughout the 2025 season, there have been calls for RCR to move on from Burnett, though there appeared to be no clear replacement, something the team will now have to sort out.
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