Richard Childress revealed earlier today (June 6) at Michigan International Speedway that Richard Childress Racing was set to announce Kyle Busch’s return for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series. Instead, the team owner addressed the media under entirely different circumstances, just two weeks after Busch’s sudden death on May 22 due to complications from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
Speaking ahead of the Michigan race, Childress admitted the moment was difficult to process, given what had been planned.
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“The hardest part of this is that today we were going to be in here. Kyle was going to be with me, and we were going to announce that he was coming back in ’27 and drive for RCR. We wanted to appear at Michigan with our GM friends with Chevrolet, and it didn’t happen,” Childress said. “This is a different type of media availability instead of a press conference that he was coming back and race for us in ’27.”
The revelation comes after months of uncertainty around Kyle Busch’s future. He had endured a difficult run, with an over 100-race winless streak and a slow start to the 2026 season, without a top-10 finish in the opening nine races. Speculation had linked him to potential moves away from RCR to other teams.
Childress, however, made it clear that both he and Busch still believed in the project.
“I talked to Kyle Tuesday night before everything went down wednesday night and Thursday, and we had a great conversation,” he said. “He said you give me cars like you gave me the last three weeks, I will make the chase this year. We were that confident.”
The announcement now adds another layer to the loss. Kyle Busch was seen at a karting facility opening two days before his death. He was spending time with his son, Brexton, making his sudden passing even harder for the garage to process.
Richard Childress reflects on Kyle Busch’s legacy after tragic loss
Beyond the immediate shock, Richard Childress also reflected on what Kyle Busch leaves behind in the sport. RCR has already confirmed that the No. 8 car will be retired, with plans to reserve it for Kyle’s son, Brexton. In the meantime, Austin Hill has driven the No. 33 car as a replacement entry at Charlotte and Nashville.
Childress emphasized Busch’s long-term impact, both statistically and personally.
“Kyle will go down in history as one of the greatest race drivers that’s ever been,” he said. “He’ll definitely be in the Hall of Fame… He helped RCR when we needed. He came right in and we won three races… We had a lot of opportunities to win other races and we just didn’t finish.”
Childress also addressed the perception around Busch during his career.
“A lot of people thought he was tough to deal with and we wouldn’t last long. But he is a man that loves this sport. He loved it so much.”
Richard Childress then pointed to Busch’s relationship with his son as a defining part of his later years:
“I would go to Mill Bridge and watch them race together… just see the enjoyment in Kyle’s eyes watching his son race was unbelievable. He’ll go down as one of the greatest drivers of all time… and all of us are going to miss him.”
Kyle Busch’s numbers support that claim. He won 63 Cup Series races and two championships in 2015 and 2019. Across NASCAR’s top three series, he recorded 234 victories, the most in history. That includes 102 wins in the O’Reilly Series and 69 in the Truck Series.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty
