NASCAR Legend Childress Admits RCR Struggles With New Car in 2026

Both Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon sit outside the playoff picture as the team works to solve handling issues.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, with the cars and track broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape, conveying the technical challenges facing the RCR team.RCR's struggle to adapt to NASCAR's new car model exposes the competitive pressures even top teams face when major technical changes are introduced.Bristol Today

NASCAR team owner Richard Childress acknowledged that his Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team has struggled to adapt to the new car model in the 2026 season, with both of his drivers, Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon, sitting well outside the playoff positions in the current points standings. Childress said the organization is working hard to diagnose and fix the issues, but admitted they haven't found the solution yet.

Why it matters

RCR has been a powerhouse team in NASCAR for decades, so their current struggles are notable. The new car model introduced this season has presented handling challenges for many teams, and Childress' candid assessment highlights the competitive pressure to quickly resolve those issues and get their drivers back in contention.

The details

Neither Busch nor Dillon have recorded a top-10 finish so far this season, with Busch sitting 24th in points and Dillon 27th. Childress said the team is 'missing something' in their setup and the engineering group is working hard to figure out the problems. He remains optimistic they can turn it around, especially at Bristol where Busch is the active wins leader with 8 victories.

  • The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season began in February.
  • After the first several races, RCR drivers Busch and Dillon are struggling to stay in playoff position.
  • The next race is at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.

The players

Richard Childress

The owner of Richard Childress Racing (RCR), a legendary NASCAR team that has won multiple championships.

Kyle Busch

One of the two RCR drivers, an 8-time race winner at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Austin Dillon

The other RCR driver, grandson of team owner Richard Childress.

John Klausmeier

The crew chief leading RCR's engineering efforts to solve the handling issues with the new car.

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What they’re saying

“It hasn't been the season none of us had planned for sure. We're working hard at it. John Klausmeier, his whole group, engineering, is working on it. We're missing something. We've got to find — people say what is it? If we knew, we'd fix it. But we're working hard to figure it out and we're going to get there.”

— Richard Childress, Owner, Richard Childress Racing

“You've got to finish first. Bristol can be one of them tracks that will take you out. We've loaded three of them on the wrecker and we've finished 1-2-3 there before. So it's Bristol.”

— Richard Childress, Owner, Richard Childress Racing

“I feel good about going there. I felt good. This new car has threw us a little bit of a curve, this new body. But Hendrick seems to have found some success with it, and we're all going to get it. We're working hard together to get it up there.”

— Richard Childress, Owner, Richard Childress Racing

What’s next

The next race for RCR is this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Kyle Busch will look to capitalize on his past success at the track to help turn around the team's season.

The takeaway

RCR's struggles with the new car model in 2026 highlight the competitive challenges even top NASCAR teams face when major technical changes are introduced. Childress' candid assessment shows the team is working hard to diagnose and fix the issues, but they haven't found the solution yet - putting pressure on them to get their drivers back in playoff position.