Kevin Harvick has opened up about Kyle Busch’s situation amid the two-time NASCAR Cup champion’s ongoing slump. Harvick addressed the Richard Childress Racing driver’s struggles and shared why he doesn’t want him to leave the sport the way Jimmie Johnson did.
Busch is one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR. The 40-year-old leads all current Cup drivers in wins but has now gone more than two full seasons without reaching the victory lane. His last Cup win came in June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. He has finished outside the top 20 in the final standings in the past two seasons and thus broken his streak of at least one win each season for the first time in his full-time career.
During the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour” podcast this Saturday, the former NASCAR Cup driver opened up about Busch’s current form.
“We just need Kyle Busch to win one race because he is such an intricate part of the sport. And I hate to see where it’s at right now for him because whenever he does retire, he doesn’t, you don’t want that legacy to go out like Jimmy Johnson did, right? Where you go three years without winning races and … I’m rooting for Kyle Busch. That’s rare,” Harvick said (38:50).
Busch’s drought could be compared to that of Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champion who also went several seasons without a win before stepping away from full-time racing.
“I Root For Kyle Busch” – Kevin Harvick Changes Course on His Old Rival
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch raced against each other for more than a decade and have traded strong words and on-track battles multiple times. However, the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver, Harvick, has admitted that his intense feelings about Busch have softened over time, and their relationship has grown more respectful.
On the same episode of his podcast, Harvick said:
“I root for Kyle Busch because it sucks when you see something that’s been so successful not be in victory lane.”
Harvick repeated the same sentiment last year, when he said:
“I’ve hated Kyle Busch with a passion at moments. That’s all come full circle, and we’re very much able to communicate and have a good relationship.”
Meanwhile, Busch and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team have been working to improve results with new crew chief Jim Pohlman, who helped Justin Allgaier get the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly (Xfinity) title with JR Motorsports, this season.
Read More:
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Tony Stewart discloses his wife Leah Pruett’s shocking reaction to NASCAR return revelation
Kyle Busch describes sad story of Richard Childress Racing’s lost NASCAR glory
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