NASCAR star Kyle Busch opens up on frustration after disastrous start to 2026

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has admitted he is frustrated with people questioning his effort or dedication at Richard Childress Racing.

2026 has been a rough year so far for Busch and his No. 8 team. Through the opening nine races of the season, they have yet to finish inside the top 10, with their worst finish (35th) coming at Kansas Speedway last Sunday.

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The poor results leave Busch all the way down in 24th in the Cup Series standings and well short of challenging for a place in The Chase.

Not only that, but his form has also drawn criticism in recent weeks, including from rival Denny Hamlin, who claimed that nobody should be surprised by his poor form, and that he must do more to get better results out of his car.

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Kyle Busch frustrated by NASCAR critics

Busch didn't take too kindly to those comments, and this week at Talladega, he's now hit back at those questioning his dedication to improving the team.

“It’s frustrating,’’ Busch said of those who would question his effort or dedication, via NASCAR Media. “Because I feel like I’ve done nothing except positive things in the time in which I’ve been at RCR.

"The last four years I’ve done nothing but work as hard as I could possibly do. There’s a lot of great people there and a lot of smart people there as well in [team owner] Richard [Childress] and Mike [Dillon] and all those guys have given us all the resources and tools to go out there and succeed. It’s just not quite come together with the results of winning.

“The first year it did, but it’s trickled off since then. But there’s nothing that stands out to me other than going there to win races and be competitive."

Busch reveals family motivation

Busch continued, revealing that setting standards for his son, Brexton, who is on his own racing journey, also serves as motivation for him to work hard and continue to improve himself and the team at this stage of his career.

"I’m raising a little racer myself," he added. "Brexton sees every single weekend. He’s around. He sees me go home and I’m watching SMT film or I’m looking at data or being at team meetings.

“I’m doing all I can on my side to help further develop the team and it’s for me to show him there’s a lot of work that goes into this. It doesn’t just come easy. You’ve got to pour it in to get the result out of it.

“Yeah, we want to win and be successful. Brexton doesn’t really remember the days of me being out there winning all the time, winning all the races and [him] being thrown up in the air. That was a little before his memory time. Lennix too. I won those three races in ’23 and she was a baby.

"Trust me, this is my life, our lives and everything we’ve known and now another generation coming in."