Kyle Busch is experiencing the longest winless stretch in his NASCAR Cup Series career, having not secured a victory since the 2023 Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway. Now, after 88 races without a trip to Victory Lane, a significant change has taken place in his team’s leadership to address the prolonged drought.
The Richard Childress Racing No. 8 team has replaced Randall Burnett as Busch’s crew chief, a move aimed at reversing the driver’s recent lack of success. This transition comes ahead of the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, where Busch has begun responding to the recent shift.
Change in Crew Chief Role Brings New Leadership
Andy Street has stepped in as the interim crew chief for Busch’s No. 8 car at the Charlotte Roval event. Street replaces Randall Burnett, who joined Richard Childress Racing prior to the 2023 season and has been Busch’s crew chief since then. In September, it was announced that Burnett will head to Trackhouse Racing in 2026, where he will lead rookie Connor Zilisch in his first full Cup Series season. For the rest of this year, Burnett will serve in a support capacity within the Richard Childress Racing organization.
Busch Reflects on Performance and Leadership Changes
Since joining Richard Childress Racing nearly three years ago, Busch achieved three wins during his initial 15 races with the team. However, those victories have been elusive in recent times as Busch’s performance plateaued. Faced with the longest winless period of his career, Busch acknowledged the necessity of change to improve results.
Obviously, I mean, we’re not getting the results, right?
Kyle Busch said when asked about the change on Saturday.
Results (are) what matters. We’re in a performance-based business and not getting the results. It’s got to fall back on someone, and they re-signed me for another year.
So that kind of gave me the notion of they’ve gotten my back, you know, we need (to) find some way (to change things).
Despite the shift, Busch expressed respect for Burnett’s impact on the team and their personal relationship, recalling meaningful moments beyond the race track.
Love Randall for everything that he is and who he was for our race team. When I joined this race team, you know, the relationship that we had, you know, his family and kid driving for me a couple of years ago with go-karts,
he reflected.
So, it’s just a matter of things change,
Busch concluded.
Looking Ahead: Evaluating the Interim Crew Chief’s Impact
Andy Street’s position as crew chief is currently temporary, with the upcoming five races serving as a trial period to assess his compatibility with Busch and the team. Performance and teamwork during this phase will likely influence whether Street remains in the role permanently for the 2026 season. This adjustment could signal a fresh approach as Busch continues to seek a return to winning form in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Kyle Busch on needing a change at crew chief as Randall Burnett is going to Trackhouse next year for Connor Zilisch. He said it is up to team leadership to make the final decision on who will crew chief him. Andy Street is crew chief for rest of the 2025 season. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/LHSLQBUuo6
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 4, 2025
