Despite being a proud organization with over 50 years of history, Richard Childress Racing currently looks like a team that just rolled into the garage area yesterday.
Both Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon are in danger of missing the playoffs, sitting 19th and 32nd in points, respectively. 2024 has been one of the worst seasons in team history, and the results have been especially shocking after Busch won three races in 2023.
While Dillon’s 2023 was nothing special, he won and made the playoffs in 2022. The team’s struggles this year have been unprecedented, with both drivers looking lost at times on the racetrack.
Busch has three finishes of 35th over the last four races, and continues to fall behind in his push to make the playoffs. Dillon, meanwhile, has collected only two top-10 finishes and will almost certainly need a win to make the playoffs.
The worst part of RCR’s current situation? There doesn’t seem to be one clear problem. Whether it be bad luck, slow cars or driver error, Richard Childress Racing simply can’t catch a break in 2024. The lack of raw speed has perhaps been the most shocking development, especially considering Busch was considered a championship favorite in the first half of 2023.
While getting Busch into the postseason is much more feasible than Dillon pulling off another miraculous victory, the fact that it’s been such a struggle for the two-time champ this season is very telling. Busch certainly doesn’t look like the driver in he was in the back half of the 2010’s, but just one season ago he proved he was still capable of winning races.
All signs seems to point to internal struggles for RCR, and with Dillon consistently being an afterthought, the team wouldn’t be able to distract fans from the fact that Busch missed the postseason if it were to happen.
There’s little optimism surrounding RCR’s two Cup Series teams at the moment, and there’s little reason to say that things are destined to turn around.
Right now, the facts are the facts: Richard Childress Racing is off the pace, and neither Dale Earnhardt nor Kevin Harvick are walking through the door anytime soon.
