Kyle Busch makes his “no dig at Ty Gibbs” stance crystal clear as he warns Connor Zilisch of a “rude awakening” 

Kyle Busch warned Connor Zilisch about his move to the Cup Series next year. Zilisch is all set to join the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2026 season, with Trackhouse Racing confirming the 19-year-old after his strong run in the Xfinity Series. In his advice, Kyle Busch also pointed to Ty Gibbs, who had his rookie Cup season in 2023, to show how tough the jump from Xfinity to Cup can be.

Zilisch became one of the most talked-about young drivers after winning 10 Xfinity races in 2025 and finishing 2nd. He ended the season with 4034 points. The 19-year-old's move comes after a long journey that started in karting, took him to Europe, and eventually led to wins in IMSA, late models, ARCA, and Xfinity.

Zilisch already made three Cup starts in 2025, and those runs gave him an early look at the level of competition he will face next year. Taking Ty Gibbs as an example, Busch explained that even the best young drivers need time to adjust. He said,

"Let me preface this first by saying this is no dig at Ty, but look at Ty Gibbs. It’s the same sort of thing: dominating the Xfinity Series, winning with one of the best teams out there, doing everything right and getting results, winning a championship and then getting to the Cup Series and just not understanding the level that it takes at this level to be good or run up front, capitalize, win races and the such." "Again that’s no dig on Ty, it’s just a fact. So, Zilisch is going to have the same thing. It’s a rude awakening.”

In his rookie Cup season, Gibbs had no wins, four top fives, and finished 18th in points. His average start was 16.9 and his average finish was 18.9, which showed the step up in difficulty.

Zilisch will begin preparing for his first full Cup season with Trackhouse, starting with the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano both believe he has the talent, but they also agree he will need time to settle in.

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Kyle Busch looks to reset with a new crew chief in 2026

Kyle Busch enters the next season hoping to rebuild after two difficult years with Richard Childress Racing. He has not won a Cup race since June 2023, and his long streak of winning at least once every season ended in 2024.

The 2025 season was harder, as Kyle Busch missed the playoffs again and finished 21st in the standings. Speaking to NASCAR.com, Kyle Busch said the priority is fixing his week-to-week form. Kyle Busch said,

“There’s still a building process that’s got to take place to get us to that avenue. And being most consistent each and every week and finishing consistently in the top five is the easiest way to prove that you’re capable of your next win. So we’ve got to get to that point first.” (NASCAR.com)

Busch remains the winningest active driver across NASCAR’s national series. His 63 Cup wins, 67 Truck wins, and 102 Xfinity wins make him the most accomplished driver on the grid. The biggest shift is at the top of the No. 8 team. Randall Burnett, Busch’s longtime crew chief, is leaving for Trackhouse Racing.

Jim Pohlman will take over the crew chief role at Richard Childress Racing. The team hopes the new pairing will bring fresh direction and help Kyle Busch regain consistency.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua