“If Hendrick Welcomed Me..” – Amid the Decline of His Lifetime, Kyle Busch Open to Turning the Clock Back to His Debut Days

Martin Truex Jr‘s retirement set shockwaves down the community this weekend. But perhaps the drivers most reflective on the veteran’s decision are none other than the JGR teammates who competed against him. Whilst Denny Hamlin remains on top of the world at Joe Gibbs Racing, the same cannot be said about Kyle Busch. After parting ways with JGR at the end of the 2022 season owing to sponsorship woes, Rowdy’s stint at Richard Childress Racing has failed to live up to the hype.

For one of NASCAR’s most winningest drivers, moving away from a ‘top-tier’ team such as JGR did mean he could take things easier. But with Kyle Busch now treading the playoffs cut-off zone carefully with RCR while JGR and HMS  walk away with the top spots, Rowdy can’t help but reminisce about times of better contention.

As his stint at RCR goes up in flames, Kyle Busch lays out all his cards

20 years ago, Kyle Busch made his debut in the then Nextel Cup Series, driving the #84 Chevrolet for Rick Hendrick. Halfway through the year, Busch was announced as a full-time driver for HMS starting in 2005. In only his first year of Cup Series contention, Busch had managed to bring home two wins for HMS, cementing himself as the Rookie of the Year that season.

However, this dominant relationship between Kyle Busch and Hendrick Motorsports would not last for long. Halfway through the 2007 season, Rowdy made the announcement that he and Rick Hendrick had parted ways. The reasons, according to Busch, had a lot to do with a ‘change in an agent’ and the All-Star Race incident which led to troubled relationships between Rowdy and the HMS boss.

Although Busch moved over to Joe Gibbs Racing, and as we all know, made history, when the time came to bid farewell to his Cup Series home of nearly 15 years, Rowdy went over to Richard Childress Racing with hopes of continuing his run at the front of the pack. Unfortunately, after a string of lackluster results this year, Kyle Busch does not seem to be at peace with his decision-making.

So when Busch was asked about the prospects of him making a move to a former team like JGR or HMS, Rowdy laid out all his cards on the table. Busch shared with FrontStretch, “I would say anything is possible always. Certainly that, if I was welcome (at JGR) I would go back. If Hendrick welcomed me, I would go back. But right now, I’m at RCR with my group of guys, and the deal that we have right now in place, so we’re trying to and build this program and make RCR great again.”

As things stand, Busch has a contract with Richard Childress Racing that sees him through the end of next season, but with time working against the 39-year-old, what choices does he have for a potential change, if not for Hendrick Motorsports?

Alternatives for Kyle Busch’s RCR exit plan

If Kyle Busch were to move over from RCR after his contract expires to another team, there are a few prospective options that would fit right in in case Rick Hendrick shows no interest. Apart from Joe Gibbs Racing, both Team Penske and 23XI Racing have shown solid form throughout the season, beating out nearly all RCR drivers on the regular season points standings thus far.

With the departure of Martin Truex Jr from JGR leaving a prime spot up for grabs, Rowdy could swoop in and rekindle his greatest NASCAR partnership. That being said, Hendrick Motorsports could also be an option if Alex Bowman were to be considered. Apart from these front-running teams, however, Kyle Busch could choose to remain with Richard Childress Racing and build the team to the levels of HMS and JGR.

But that’s not all. As a 39-year-old full-time Cup driver, Busch finds himself in a peculiar spot. On one hand, Rowdy is old enough to have experienced all that Cup racing entails, making him the perfect driver to help lead a newer team like 23XI Racing or even mentor newer drivers at a team like JGR. That being said, time is also running out for Busch as only a few years of full-time contention remain in his career.

As Busch inches closer to becoming the oldest active driver in the Cup Series, can a change in teams and the environment help Rowdy rejuvenate his lost momentum in time for another championship?