NASCAR insider circles Kyle Busch as driver with most to gain, lose early in 2025 season

Last season, Kyle Busch ended his NASCAR record of 19 seasons straight of having at least one win in the Cup Series. Winless for the first time ever as a full-time Cup driver. 2025 is a major season for Busch and Richard Childress Racing.

Kyle Busch, theoretically, still has a number of years left in his career. He has yet to turn 40, with his birthday coming in May. Stock car drivers are considered in their prime, at times, up to and into their 40s.

I don’t think anyone believes that Rowdy is lacking in talent. RCR cars have been lacking in speed lately. Busch came up short at Atlanta in a three-wide finish that separated first to third by 0.007 seconds. Busch was P3.

At Daytona, he was passed by Harrison Burton after a controversial push from Parker Retzlaff. Busch then lost a hotly contested battle the next week to Chase Briscoe at Darlington to end the regular season. Back-to-back runner-up finishes.

For many reasons, Kyle Busch must improve. Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports believes the beginning of the season is crucial for Rowdy.

“I mean, remember the middle of the year all the talk about, could he go back to Gibbs or what’s he going to do?” Pockrass said on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “And I think if he doesn’t win early those questions are going to come up again, and saying where will he be in 2026? The interesting part about it is, from the difference between me and Kevin is two wins for him, at least, right?

“So, you’re talking about you could be looking at his last season in a totally different perspective, if just by that much. So, is he going to gain that much distance or is he going to go back? A lot of people thought, ‘Oh they’re going to change crew chiefs and stuff.’ But they didn’t change the team itself as much as they changed a lot of the infrastructure and some of the people behind the scenes.”

Pockrass, as usual, is right here. Kyle Busch has to show he still has it. RCR also has to hold up its end of the deal, delivering fast cars to the track each week. You have a two-time champion in the car, he should win a race or two.

Busch is entering a crucial season in his career. If he does end up departing Childress in the future, where does he go from there? Perhaps Spire? It all depends on what happens this year on the track and with other teams in the Cup Series.