‘Incomplete’ is the word many might use to describe Kyle Busch’s Cup Series career. Despite all his championships and all the race wins, there was one more thing that the fans wanted to see, and it was for him to get back to the top, perhaps with a stronger team. And as Jeff Gluck recently revealed, that might have actually happened, but Busch decided to stay loyal to Richard Childress.

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck now reveals in his write-up for The Athletic that Spire Motorsports did approach him as a potential driver for their Chevy. It was initially going to be him who would replace Justin Haley within the team, but Kyle Busch decided to continue with Richard Childress Racing.

Busch moved to Richard Childress Racing in the 2023 season, and despite the strong performance he delivered with the team initially, they eventually fell back in the field. 2024 marked his first Cup Series season in 19 years when he went winless, and the trend continued in 2025.

It was at this time that fans began hoping for him to move to a stronger team to get back to winning ways, and considering his connection with Spire Motorsports via the Truck Series, it seemed to be the destination. However, nothing happened, and he continued racing for RCR until his unexpected passing earlier this year.

Eventually, Spire had to settle with Daniel Suarez, who, understandably, was a late signing. So in a way, Busch’s loyalty to Childress paved the way for Suarez to make his Spire entry, and he recently went on to win the race at Charlotte, just days after Busch’s passing.

However, Kyle Busch’s dedication to Richard Childress was also quite understandable. The latter had made quite a few changes to the team to accommodate Busch. In fact, just back in April, he replaced Jim Pohlman with Andy Street as the #8 crew chief. This was shortly after the issues Busch was facing with Pohlman became quite apparent. And to everyone’s shock, the #8 team began performing quite well shortly after this change was made.

It was perhaps this close relationship that Kyle Busch shared with Richard Childress that made him choose the struggling team over Spire Motorsports. But at the same time, there was a very strong speculation that Busch would finally go on to win a race later this season.

How Kyle Busch neared a race win just days before his passing

After winning the Truck Series race at Dover with Spire Motorsports, Busch seemed to be back in his element. He found himself a strong pairing with Andy Street, and the two managed to pull off an incredible result at Watkins Glen. Of course, the fact that it was one of his stronger tracks helped. Many thought that the #8 would finally emerge victorious sometime later this season. Unfortunately for many, that turned out to be his last race.

Richard Childress Racing, along with the rest of NASCAR, paid strong and emotional tributes to the winningest driver of the sport. While the fans saw him clinch multiple championships, set new records, and win an unimaginable number of races throughout his career, many wished to see him return to Victory Lane, especially after the tough challenge he had to face in his final seasons with RCR.

However, the team has made some strong arrangements for the future. Childress retired and preserved the #8, revealing that it would only be used by Busch’s son, Brexton, in the future when he makes his Cup Series debut. And considering his performance, it shouldn’t be a long time till that happens.