Denny Hamlin stated that Kyle Busch's era in NASCAR may be over, citing Busch's ongoing struggles since joining Richard Childress Racing. Hamlin believes Busch is ill-suited to the NextGen car and has not won in nearly three years, with his teammates outperforming him.
Denny Hamlin isnāt mincing words when he said Kyle Buschās era in NASCAR could be over, and he didnāt hold back in explaining why he believes that Busch has been struggling for years.
On the latest episode of the "Actions Detrimental" podcast, Hamlin laid out his case: Busch has battled since the moment he arrived at Richard Childress Racing. Nearly three years have passed since his last win at Gateway, his RCR teammates are outperforming him, and the decline is impossible to ignore.
Hamlin added that Busch appears ill-suited to the NextGen car, arguing that his three wins in 2023 came when the field was still learning its setups. Now that the competition has caught up, Busch has been left behind.
"If youāre expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane, youāre going to be very disappointed," Hamlin said on the podcast. "Iām not in his shoes. Iām not his crew chief, his engineer, or his team owner. Iām just a podcaster who happens to be on the racetrack around him and I can say itās not working. I donāt have the answers, and I think we have to live in this reality for the time being."
March 8: Ryan Blaney celebrates winning the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
March 1: Tyler Reddick celebrates winning the DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Feb. 22: Tyler Reddick celebrates winning the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
Feb. 15: Tyler Reddick celebrates with his family and crew after winning the 68th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
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March 8: Ryan Blaney celebrates winning the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
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March 8: Ryan Blaney celebrates winning the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
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March 1: Tyler Reddick celebrates winning the DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
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Feb. 22: Tyler Reddick celebrates winning the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
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Feb. 15: Tyler Reddick celebrates with his family and crew after winning the 68th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
All three of Busch's 2023 wins came in a four-month stretch: the Pala Casino 400 in February, the GEICO 500 in April, and the Enjoy Illinois 300 in June.
More: Denny Hamlin emotional after NASCAR career win No. 61 in Las Vegas
Busch currently sits 24th in the Cup Series standings. His 25th-place finish in Sundayās Food City 500 at Bristol marked his fourth consecutive race outside the top 20.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Denny Hamlin gives blunt opinion on Kyle Busch's NASCAR struggles
Denny Hamlin believes Kyle Busch's era may be over due to his ongoing struggles at Richard Childress Racing and a lack of wins in nearly three years.
Kyle Busch has not won a NASCAR race in nearly three years, with his last victory occurring at Gateway.
Kyle Busch appears to be ill-suited to the NextGen car, as his performance has declined since other competitors have caught up with the setups.
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