Denny Hamlin questions if Kyle Busch's NASCAR career is nearing its end, noting it's been over three years since Busch's last win. Despite joining Richard Childress Racing, Busch has struggled to keep pace with teammate Austin Dillon.
Itâs been three years and 100 races since the two-time Cup Series champion last won at Gateway on June 4, 2023 and it has been a struggle ever since his first half season at Richard Childress Racing. Since then, teammate Austin Dillon has won back-to-back races at Richmond Raceway and Busch doesnât exactly out run the No. 3 on a weekly basis these days either.
Hamlin offered that Busch should at least be outperforming Dillon by a significant margin and thatâs just not happening.
âWe keep talking about this but the last couple of years (at Joe Gibbs Racing) was not good; itâs been like this for five years,â Hamlin said. âYouâre a Hall of Fame Mount Rushmore driver and if youâre of the greatest, then carry better than your teammate thatâs only won 10 races. I think he should be able to do that but itâs not happening.â
Hamlin said Busch âjust doesnât know how to consistently get speed out of the NextGen car,â and that his three wins in 2023 came in an era where teams were still guessing on set-ups with this car. The parity has increased tremendously since then.
He said that drivers are now responsible for making the difference.
âThis is just my opinion, and I canât hold a helmet to Kyle Busch on talent, but I just think that this is not new,â Hamlin said. âHeâs struggled for five years now so we just have to be honest about our expectations.
âIf youâre expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane, youâre going to be very disappointed. I just think that, until we change the car or something changes, something has to change, and I have no idea. Iâm not in his shoes. Iâm not his crew chief. Iâm not his engineer and Iâm not his team owner. Â Iâm not in the weeds. Iâm just a podcaster that happens to be on the race track around him and I can say itâs not working. I donât have the answers and I think we have to live in this reality for the time being.â
Hamlin wonders if Busch has reached the moment Jimmie Johnson did in 2017 where he went from winning the championship the year before and abruptly stopped being as competitive somewhere shortly afterwards.
âSometimes the light switch goes off at different times. I donât know.â
Hamlin doesnât even know if there is a place for Busch outside of Richard Childress Racing after his contract ends this season. Heâs not going back to Joe Gibbs Racing where he was a teammate of Hamlin from 2008 to 2022. Maybe Spire Motorsports could have an opening next year, but again, Hamlin says Busch cannot consistently best Dillon right now in equal cars.
He says Busch was not that good in the NextGen car in his last season at JGR either. Hamlin pondered if Busch is too âhands-onâ when it comes to set-up decisions. Instead of simply telling crew chief Jim Pohlman how the car is driving, Busch is offering specific set-up changes he wants.
âMaybe in the short term,â Hamlin said. âMaybe he just says âI am going to give you feedback and just drive the carâ because itâs the drivers job to send them in a direction but that doesnât mean telling them what to change.â
Hamlin thinks Busch would be better served just focusing on how the car feels rather than simultaneously playing a crew chief â engineer role.
âSo I don't know,â Hamlin said. âI genuinely don't like seeing one of the most polarizing and popular and talented guys in the sport running where he is at right now. But this is the new reality we have to set ourselves in until we see any kind of change.â
How long has it been since Kyle Busch last won a NASCAR race?
Kyle Busch last won a NASCAR race over three years ago, specifically on June 4, 2023, at Gateway.
What did Denny Hamlin say about Kyle Busch's performance?
Denny Hamlin expressed concern that Kyle Busch should be outperforming his teammate Austin Dillon but noted that Busch is not doing so.
Which team is Kyle Busch currently racing for?
Kyle Busch is currently racing for Richard Childress Racing.
What recent successes has Austin Dillon achieved in NASCAR?
Austin Dillon has won back-to-back races at Richmond Raceway recently.
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