Kyle Busch has never been shy about speaking his mind, and right now the whole sport is doing a lot of talking. With lawsuits flying, leaked texts making headlines, and the garage feeling more divided than ever, Rowdy is walking into 2026 with a brand-new voice on top of the pit box. This time with a new crew chief.

Jim Pohlman is the crew chief for the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy in 2026, and he didn’t waste time sugar-coating what the next year might sound like.

Jim Pohlman isn’t scared of a little fire

Pohlman looked straight ahead and said the five words everyone already figured:

“There might be some spats.”

Jim Pohlman knows exactly who he’s climbing the ladder for. Kyle Busch is intense, competitive, and takes every tenth of a second personally. Pohlman says he sees a lot of himself in that. Both guys hate losing more than they like winning, and that shared wiring means the radio is probably going to get spicy sometimes.

But Pohlman isn’t worried. He believes those arguments will come from caring too much, not from pointing fingers. The fire that makes them yell is the same fire that will push the No. 8 back to the front.

This isn’t Pohlman’s first ride at RCR; he was there in 2022 before heading to JR Motorsports to work with Justin Allgaier. Three seasons later, they had nine wins and the 2024 Xfinity championship in the bag. Now he’s bringing that winning feel back to the Cup with one mission: get Kyle Busch winning again.

Busch picked Pohlman himself out of everyone interviewed because something clicked. Pohlman still sees the speed in Busch and believes the results are just waiting on the cars to catch up.

It’ll be Pohlman’s first full-time Cup gig since 2011 with Juan Pablo Montoya, but he helped shape the Next Gen car from the start at Ganassi and RCR, so he knows the rulebook inside out. Aero packages have changed, tyres are different, strategies have moved, but he’s jumping in with both hands.

If a bolt needs tightening, he’ll grab the wrench. If the setup needs a rethink, he’ll lead the conversation. Chevrolet support is strong, the notebook at RCR is deep, and Pohlman’s plan is simple: outwork everyone until the speed shows up every week.

He already knows the hardest part won’t be the cars; it’ll be the long, dry Sundays that can crush a team’s spirit. Keeping morale high when the results aren’t there yet is job one. Two wins in two years at RCR isn’t the standard either man wants, but both believe the pieces are finally coming together.

A little shouting on the radio might just be the sound of two winners refusing to settle for anything less. All that intensity melts away the second Kyle Busch starts talking about Peyton Manning.

Even Rowdy turns into a kid around Peyton Manning

A few years ago, Nationwide brought the NFL legend to Bristol, and NASCAR tipped off the drivers who might want a minute with him. Turns out Kyle Busch was at the front of that line, Broncos jersey in hand, silver Sharpie ready, even a note that said exactly where to sign.

He laughed, telling the story, “Yeah, I was that guy. I did that with Peyton Manning.”

He admitted Tom Brady might get the same treatment, but politicians and movie stars? Not so much. Eighteen seasons, two Super Bowls, one of the greatest to ever play the position. Turns out the guy who stares down 200-mile-an-hour restarts still gets butterflies when his childhood hero walks in the room.

From heated radio chatter with a new crew chief who’s ready for the fight to turning into a giddy fan with a silver pen and a Broncos jersey, Kyle Busch is still the same mix of fire and heart that’s kept fans watching for two decades. 2026 might have some spats, but if Pohlman and Rowdy channel it right, it’ll end with a lot more trophies and a lot fewer apologies.