Despite having two championships and 63 race wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Busch has hardly been a force to reckon with. When the other Kyle [Larson] has been the definition of dominance, things have been bleak for Richard Childress Racing driver of late. However, his recent outing at the Daytona 500 qualifying surprised everyone, including Kevin Harvick, as the NASCAR veteran shared a “dangerous” prediction for the rest of the field.

Kevin Harvick highlights key Kyle Busch points

In the recent Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the 2014 Cup Series champion was discussing Kyle Busch and Richard Childress. He took a trip down memory lane and recalled how Mr. Childress won the prestigious Daytona 500 with multiple drivers, including him.

“I’m happy for Kyle. I think that Kyle Busch being competitive and winning races is really important to our sport, and he deserves that,” Harvick said. “But I’m more happy for Richard Childress. And Richard Childress is somebody who has meant so much to this sport. Winning the Daytona 500 with Austin, myself, Dale Earnhardt, you know, he just has such a legacy in this sport, and I know how hard he works to be able to make those cars fast, how much he cares about this sport.”

Following this, Harvick, who also raced for Richard Childress Racing from 2001 to 2013, shared how the RCR driver needs to perform this season to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. Notably, the 2026 season is also his last with Richard Childress’ team until both sides agree to extend their contract, and a win is incredibly important for the two-time Cup Series champion.

“So, I’m really excited for Richard. They needed something good to happen. I know Austin went to victory lane last year, but it’s a contract year for Kyle Busch. And I believe that he can still get it done. And you know, I think it’s something that Kyle has to be able to be comfortable and get what he wants underneath that car, but the first thing they have to have is speed. Well, guess what? We showed up at the Daytona 500 with speed. And I think that’s dangerous for the rest of the field.”

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Notably, a win in the Cup Series is extremely important for Kyle Busch as the veteran driver is going through one of the roughest patches in NASCAR — 93 races without a win. Busch’s last victory came on 4 June 2023, in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at the World Wide Technology Raceway.

He finished the last two seasons winless and, as a result, could not qualify for the playoffs.

He concluded his 2025 season in 21st place, and a win and a dominant season are of utmost importance for his legendary career and his immediate 2026 goals.

Amid this, the pole for the Daytona 500 is considered a push in the right direction, given how he put Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe behind with astonishing speed. He clocked 48.933 on the timesheet, while Briscoe had 49.023, and this, coming from a driver who has not won a race in over two years, is something Harvick also shed light on and rang the alarm bells.

From being a winless driver in back-to-back seasons to a championship contender, it could be something that rewards Busch’s long-time Cup career. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch is also determined to answer the critics.

Kyle Busch recalled old RCR days as inspiration to prove detractors wrong

Following his pole at the 2026 Daytona 500, Kyle Busch is determined to show his mettle and prove the critics wrong. By recalling how he shocked everyone with three wins right in the first year of his JGR to RCR transition, here’s what the #8 driver said:

“I think there are a lot of people out there that want to be detractors and want to say that you’re too old, you can’t do it, this and that. And I’m like, all I did was move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing, and when I first got here, we won three races in one year.”

This will be Busch’s fourth year as a Richard Childress Racing driver. He will continue to drive the #8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under full-time obligation, alongside Austin Dillon. That said, it will be interesting to see how the 40-year-old driver performs in the Great American Race.