Before the Cup Series could grab headlines, Xfinity did it first at Indianapolis. Last Saturday, fireworks broke out at the Pennzoil 250 race between Austin Hill and Aric Almirola. While the latter initiated it with a slight nudge, Hill took it a notch upward by hooking Almirola’s No. 19 in the right rear and sending him into the retaining wall. This act of aggression led to consequences for the No. 21 Chevrolet. But to the surprise of fans, Richard Childress did not seek Kyle Busch’s help.

The two-time Cup Series champion is presently in the midst of a long, 79-race winless streak. Despite his piling misfortunes in the present day, the past speaks of his brilliance. That is why fans are baffled about why Busch’s name did not come up to aid Austin Hill’s Xfinity troubles.

RCR’s Xfinity gamble: No Kyle Busch behind the wheel 

Considering his stats, that does seem surprising. Kyle Busch still reigns as the all-time record-holder in the Xfinity Series (102), which he collected during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. Although his last victory came in a 2021 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his resume is better than Austin Dillon’s. Richard Childress’ grandson owns nine wins in NASCAR’s secondary tier and also boasts the 2013 Xfinity Series championship. Yet in a sport where familial connections and shifting allegiances rule, Busch was left out of the conversation.

NASCAR slapped Austin Hill with a one-race suspension for his egregious aggression in Indianapolis. As a result, the dominant driver cannot wheel the No. 21 RCR car at Iowa Speedway. Given the glaring nature of his actions, Hill’s case will not be fought, as RCR posted on X: “Richard Childress Racing will not appeal the penalty NASCAR issued to the No. 21 team following the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We remain focused on winning a championship with Austin Hill in 2025.” At the same time, however, Xfinity win leader Kyle Busch missed out on this opportunity. RCR further wrote, “Austin Dillon will race the No. 21 Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway.”

Like Austin Hill, Kyle Busch also has a checkered history in rowdy racing. From wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr. in a 2011 Craftsman Truck Series race to punching Joey Logano in the 2017 All-Star Race, Busch had chaotic confrontations. Now, however, Busch is more mature and more seasoned – hence, his being a replacement would have been a good lesson for Hill. This is more crucial as playoff points are involved. A driver who is suspended loses all playoff points earned during the regular season, and Hill is ranked third in playoff points with 21. Rebounding from this hit would take a lot, and Busch may have been perfect for the task in Iowa.

That is what the NASCAR community fervently believes, as it disapproved of RCR’s decision.

Calls for Busch ring out

So what if Kyle Busch is riding the longest winless streak of his career? Rowdy went winless in 2024, the first time in 19 seasons, but still reigns in fans’ hearts. After all, the 232-time NASCAR national series winner does not have a match in the sport. So one fan wrote, “We want KFB!!” Somebody else reminded people about the theory that Richard Childress is failing Busch in faulty race equipment. They brutally dissed Austin Dillon in comparison to Busch’s greatness. The comment read, “Why not Kyle?!?!?!! Austin Dillon is a joke, but I guess he takes all that after @Rchildress3 not serious about the team or racing. SLACKERS!!”

Ahead of the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch expressed his concerns about the team. It came soon after Richard Childress had a radio meltdown about the No. 8 Chevy’s weaknesses in Dover. Busch could wheel the car home in 11th place in Dover, but that dropped to 25th place in the Brickyard 400. One fan surmised a disagreement may have played out: “Not putting kfb in the car seems odd unless kfb and Rcr are not seeing eye to eye at the moment kyle did seem displeased in his interview about the situation this weekend 🤔”

Despite his troubles in the Cup Series, Kyle Busch’s talent in the Xfinity Series is undeniable. Unlike the Next-Gen car in Cup, Xfinity has stuck to the same car since its old days. So the chances of Busch winning were actually strong. Hence, one fan lamented: “They picked AD cause they know KB will actually race the car and could potentially wreck it… they know grandson is gonna keep it safe and sound back in 25th place.” Despite Richard Childress’ deal being done and dusted, some fans insisted nevertheless. They favor Busch over 2013 Xfinity champ, Austin Dillon: “Should’ve been Kyle behind the wheel.”

Clearly, Kyle Busch is the top priority for NASCAR fans. Although it is unlikely, let us wait and see if Richard Childress’s response to this is positive or not.