Jim Pohlman believes he can ‘lead’ RCR after taking over Kyle Busch’s crew chief role

Richard Childress Racing will have JR Motorsports' Jim Pohlman as Kyle Busch's crew chief in the 2026 season. The position was previously held by Randall Burnett. In an interview with stock car racing analyst Matt Weaver, Pohlman disclosed his plans for the organization.

During the interview, Jim Pohlman claimed that Kyle Busch is a "great race car driver." He further pointed out that he will bring the right mentality to help the organization improve in the next Cup Series season. He stated [03:08 onwards]:

"I think, first off, it’s a huge honor to work with Richard Childress and Kyle Busch. Richard is a Hall of Famer, and Kyle Busch is probably a first-ballot future Hall of Famer. They both know how to get the job done. I think they have a great organization, and I think Kyle is a great race car driver; there are no problems there." "I feel like I can come in, help lead the company, and do the things they ask me to do—just bring the right mentality. I think the biggest thing in this sport is having your headspace right, being focused on your own stuff and what you have to do. So yeah, I am definitely looking forward to getting in there and getting to work this winter," he added.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief has worked with RCR earlier in the 2022 season and managed multiple roles. Additionally, he helped Justin Allgaier park his #7 Chevy in the victory lane on several occasions and even clinched the 2024 championship.

On the other hand, the #8 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver has been struggling to deliver promising performance since his sophomore year with the team. Busch has been on a winless drought since 2024 and missed the playoffs twice, including the 2025 season.

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"We are not in the exact spot we would like to be": RCR crew chief on Kyle Busch's milestone start with the team

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has been running in his third year with Richard Childress Racing. The Gateway event marked his 100th start for the team. However, the fans scrutinized the #8 Chevy driver over his milestone achievement.

The RCR driver has been facing the worst seasons of his career since 2024. He ended his longtime streak of winning at least one race each season, along with his record of securing a spot in the playoffs. His performance displayed no improvements this season either. Reflecting on the same, Kyle Busch's crew chief stated:

"Well, obviously, we are not in the exact spot we would like to be. We have had some decent speed at a lot of tracks, and through various things, have taken ourselves out of it or gotten taken out of some good finishes. There have been some tracks where we have been absolutely terrible at." (via the NASCAR Live podcast)

Busch has secured a solid third-place start for the upcoming Talladega Superspeedway race this Sunday. However, he has yet to clinch a win this season. He has only secured two top-five finishes in 33 starts.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua