Every NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Current Contract Status
What’s Happening? Like any other sport, Free Agency is a key part of NASCAR. However, driver-free agency is not covered like…
Kyle Busch is currently in one of the worst stretches of his career. A long losing streak, combined with heartbreakingly close losses, have raised questions about KFB’s plans in NASCAR. While some of his fans want Busch to move on from Richard Childress Racing, the grass may not be greener on the other side.
It’s no secret that Richard Childress Racing is far from the days of Dale Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick. In fact, since Harvick left after 2013, the team only has 12 wins.
The team also has nine wins since 2020, thanks in part to former driver Tyler Reddick, some less-than-masterful wins from Austin Dillon, and three from future hall-of-fame talent Kyle Busch. Busch joined the team after a sputtering end to his time with Joe Gibbs Racing; after the departure of sponsor Mars, Busch was on the market for a ride, and RCR, soon to lose Reddick to 23XI Racing, made a move.
While the first half of 2023 was good, with the team scoring their third win that summer at Gateway, the team and driver have gone winless, with loyal Busch fans begging the driver to leave the team. Rumor has it that Busch is in the option year of his contract with RCR, and fans are already theorizing that he should move on.
Busch’s case to leave RCR is clear; he is in a 65-race winless drought, the team itself is more productive on the Xfinity Series side of things, and Busch is not getting any younger.
For much of last year, fans theorized Busch could take over the No. 19 at JGR, race the No. 48 at Hendrick Motorsports, or even race the No. 7 at Spire Motorsports. Of course, as we now sit a large portion into the 2025 season, none of these happened, as RCR made the right call and exercised their option.
Now, if Busch does leave, fans are theorizing he could race at Trackhouse Racing, Kaulig Racing, or Legacy Motor Club in 2026. Some even point to him racing at RFK Racing in 2027. Should Busch leave RCR, he wouldn’t leave the team empty-handed, as Xfinity prospect Jesse Love looks more and more ready for Cup action every week.
So, with potential opportunities elsewhere, Busch should absolutely leave RCR. Right?
What’s Happening? Like any other sport, Free Agency is a key part of NASCAR. However, driver-free agency is not covered like…
Fans’ ideas about Busch’s future are, of course, just ideas. No one knows where Rowdy will race in 2026, let alone 2027. Using this logic, perhaps by this time next year, he will be five for five in the Craftsman Truck Series, racing IndyCar full-time, or back at RCR.
So, let’s look at these ideas.
Kaulig has a history of shaking it up year to year, but this looks like the first stable lineup in the team’s Cup Series tenure (unless one of their drivers retires.) Legacy Motor Club is an interesting case. The team is focused on the long term and is expanding with a newly acquired Charter. However, whether that expansion is in 2026 or 2027 is pending an ongoing lawsuit.
These are the most likely options that could become reality. The other two require numerous changes and decisions that could hypothetically result in Busch scoring a ride.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
For example, could Trackhouse move on from Daniel Suarez after this year? Perhaps. Suarez has a lot to prove and a lot left out on the track. Furthermore, Connor Zilisch looks primed for a Cup Series spot. If the team elects one more developmental season for Zilsich, they may need a stop-gap.
Finally, the RFK theory hinges on Brad Keselowski retiring and the team not finding a young replacement. In this wild scenario, the team hypothetically bringing on Busch only ages their veteran roster, leaving holes for the long term.
Obviously, these are far-fetched ideas. However, they come off the 2024 silly season in which an entire team shuttered and four expanded. So, there are lofty expectations for this Silly Season.
It is early to have this conversation in 2025; however, it never really ended last season. Given his potential job prospects and current seat, if RCR wants Busch back, there may not be a real choice for the veteran if he wants a real shot at winning races. Despite what his fans want, there is a real case that KFB will be back at No. 8 in 2025.
Even if these jobs opened up, aside from RFK and Trackhouse, would they really be an upgrade for Busch? LMC is a backmarker of Toyota and is consistently outrun by RCR. Kaulig is essentially a satellite team of RCR, so that’s not really a move for Busch.
But we have seen some crazy moves in recent years; for all we know, a shocking move could trigger a domino effect, resulting in some surprising job openings at the Cup Series level.
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