NASCAR Cup Series drivers most in need of Easter break

After seven straight weeks of racing to start the 2026 season, the NASCAR Cup Series is taking a one-week break before returning to action at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 12. 

Here are the four drivers who are the happiest to have a weekend off after a grueling start to the season. 

Kyle Busch | No. 8 Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing

Busch's winless streak hit 100 races after a 24th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. He's yet to finish inside the top-10 once this season and is 24th in the Cup Series standings. 

It's not as if Busch was expected to be a title threat this season, but there's little hope that a team that has struggled mightily over the past 2.5 seasons will magically turn things around. Busch and first-year crew chief Jim Pohlman desperately need an extra week to prepare for Bristol and take a breath.

Josh Berry | No. 21 Ford | Wood Brothers Racing

Berry at least has momentum after his best run of the season at Martinsville yielded a 10th-place effort and 36 crucial points. He went from 32nd to 25th in the Cup Series standings after Sunday. 

But at this point in 2025, Berry had visited victory lane and showed much more overall speed. There's still plenty of time for him to turn things around, and after a solid short track showing at Martinsville, another at Bristol could go a long way in getting Berry and the No. 21 team back on track.

Connor Zilisch | No. 88 Chevrolet | Trackhouse Racing

However good a prospect at the lower levels of NASCAR is, the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series is no joke. Zilisch, who won 11 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races in 2025 and had one of the greatest seasons in series history, is finding that out firsthand. 

Zilisch is 33rd in the standings through seven races and yet to score a single top-10. That's not especially concerning for a 19-year-old rookie, but that rough start has to be weighing on the mind of a young phenom who isn't used to running at the back. A week off is the best medicine for Zilisch as he continues to adjust to Cup Series racing.

Chase Briscoe | No. 19 Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing

Briscoe won three races and made the Championship 4 in 2025, but has looked like a completely different driver early in 2026. He's yet to rise above 15th in the standings and is 21st after a 14th-place run at Martinsville. 

There's no reason for Briscoe and the No. 19 team to panic yet, but a lack of speed at Bristol and beyond would be somewhat worrying.