At the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Kyle Busch introduced Andy Street as his new interim crew chief for the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. This move comes as part of efforts to improve Busch’s recent performance struggles on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.
Background on Crew Chief Changes Within Richard Childress Racing
Randall Burnett, who had served as Busch’s crew chief since he joined Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2023, will be transitioning to Trackhouse Racing in 2026. Burnett’s new role will involve guiding rookie Connor Zilisch during his Cup Series debut, according to an announcement made by Trackhouse on September 23. RCR responded on October 1 by appointing Andy Street as the interim crew chief, while Burnett retains a supportive role through the rest of the season.
Busch’s Recent Performance and Need for Change
During his nearly three seasons with RCR, Kyle Busch has claimed three wins—occurring within his first 15 races for the team at Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Despite this early success, Busch’s current season has been underwhelming, featuring a career-low tally of just two top-five finishes, eight top-10 placements, and only 62 laps led, with five races remaining in 2025.
Addressing the situation, Busch acknowledged the necessity for change.
Image of: Kyle Busch
“Obviously, I mean, we’re not getting the results, right?”
Busch said 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 got my back. And we needed to find a change somewhere.”
Busch Emphasizes Team Effort Beyond Crew Chief Role
Despite the crew chief adjustment, Busch cautioned that a single new hire would not resolve all issues. He likened the racing team’s structure to that of a football coaching staff, highlighting the collective effort required from multiple specialized roles.
“I mean, it’s not just going to be a crew chief that comes in and fix the whole program. I’m going to put that out there,”
Busch explained.
“We’ve got to have from top to bottom, from inside out, an opportunity of being able to orchestrate the proper personnel to go out there to execute.”
Interim Role Duration and Future Crew Chief Prospects
Andy Street will remain as the crew chief for the No. 8 team through the remainder of this season. The decision regarding the permanent crew chief for 2026 will be determined by Richard Childress, the team owner, and team president Mike Verlander.
Busch expressed confidence in the leadership’s ability to identify the right candidate.
“I would say they’ve got to have a Rolodex,”
he said.
“And whoever they can pinpoint to have an opportunity to come inside and do the work, or whether they’re from the inside and do the work, it’s about leading us in the right direction.”
Regarding his involvement, Busch noted,
“It’s not that I don’t want any input or to be in those conversations, but they’ve got to put together their list. And obviously, time is of the essence because people are probably getting their deals done right now in order to get it done by the end of the year. So once that’s together, then you kind of go over that and say yea or nay.”
Implications for Busch’s Career and Team Prospects
This crew chief change underscores the urgency within Richard Childress Racing to turn around Kyle Busch’s recent underperformance. With proven past success but current struggles, the team’s decision reflects a strategic move to optimize personnel and improve results. As the season progresses with Andy Street leading the pit box, attention will focus on how well the team adapts and which long-term leadership decisions will emerge for 2026.
With Richard Childress Racing and Randall Burnett parting ways at the end of the season, RCR has decided Andy Street will step in as crew chief of the No. 8 team with driver Kyle Busch effective this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Burnett will continue contributing in a…
