Kyle Busch Criticizes Denny Hamlin Before Finishing 34th at Kansas Due to Car Issues

Kyle Busch made the headlines this weekend, airing his unhappiness with Denny Hamlin. On last week’s episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin speculated as to why Busch has struggled so much since his debut season with Richard Childress Racing. Despite Busch stating that he “didn’t love” hearing what Denny said, Busch did not back himself up, finishing 4 laps down in 34th at Kansas.

It seems like Busch has grown increasingly irritable with his team’s performance. “I would love to swap cars with Denny,” Busch stated in a media interview. The poor racing is blamed on the Richard Childress Racing team, according to Busch.

Advertisement

Richard Childress Racing Cars This Season

The Cup Series team is struggling mightily. In 9 races, thus 18 chances for the team, they have not found one single top 10. In Busch’s debut season with the team, he won 3 times. Since then, he has been winless.

In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the 2-man team has been struggling recently. Love, the defending series champion, has an average finish of 13.2 in his last 5 races. Hill has an average finish of 17.0 over his last 7 races. He began the season with a victory at Daytona, but it has been downhill ever since.

Advertisement

Kyle Busch Struggles at Kansas

Busch should have been a driver deemed for top-10 potential at Kansas. In 37 starts at the track, Busch has 2 wins and 16 top-10’s (43%). Yet, he finished in 34th place.

The issues for Busch were purely car-related. He never spun, never wrecked, just purely struggled. The car dealt with tire wear, an unscheduled pit stop in Stage 2, and an overall slow pace, getting lapped.

Why Was Busch Unhappy with Hamlin?

On Hamlin’s latest podcast episode, he speculated on many reasons for Busch’s struggles. One key instance was when Hamlin speculated whether Busch may have “lost it.” Near the end of Jimmie Johnson’s full-time career, he fell off a cliff. Johnson went from a 7-time Cup Series Champion to struggling to finish in the top 10. Perhaps Busch is at the same end of life.

Advertisement

Hamlin only speculated about the struggles, rather than listing a single clear issue. Yet Busch, Hamlin’s mentor of sorts, did not like hearing Denny’s comments.

Towards the end of the interview, Busch exclaimed that Hamlin could “bash” him all he wants, but Busch can “make his life hell.” The chances that Busch really gets testy on track with Hamlin are low, but noteworthy.

Hamlin ultimately tried to clear up his comments as a podcaster with a duty to his fans. Hamlin must give fair takes without crossing the line. He did not believe he crossed any lines, but you cannot always please everyone. Hamlin went on to state that his 1.5-mile successes are all thanks to Busch, as he taught Denny more than any teammate over his 20-year career.

Advertisement

As for now, Busch will continue to search for better results. No proof is in the pudding, and Busch’s future hangs in the balance regarding a potential departure from the No. 8 car. For now, he may keep running outside of the top-20 until proven otherwise. The team’s average finish in 2026 is 23.4.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.