Austin Dillon Drops Honest Verdict on Kyle Busch as a Teammate at Richard Childress Racing

A few weeks ago, Denny Hamlin admitted that Kyle Busch had been extremely helpful in honing his skills on intermediate tracks during their time as teammates. It seems Busch continues to offer that same guidance at Richard Childress Racing, with Austin Dillon recently crediting him for playing a crucial role in elevating his team’s overall performance.

Although Busch’s winless streak now spans 70 races, he remains one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers. Yet, perhaps due to evolving car dynamics and the challenges posed by the Next Gen era, he hasn’t recaptured that same level of dominance.

Even as he assists his younger teammates, Busch is still seeking his own resurgence. Following the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, where Busch finished 15th and Dillon came home 20th, the grandson of Richard Childress offered insight into Busch’s impact. “Yeah, I feel like he gives you what you expect, which is that he’s a hard worker,” Dillon said.

Dillon emphasized that Busch is focused on helping the RCR cars reach Victory Lane. Not only does he push himself to the limit, but he also holds his team accountable, constantly seeking ways to improve. “As far as being in the meetings with him after practice and on Mondays and the debriefs, he’s very helpful,” Dillon added.

According to Dillon, Busch’s knack for asking the right questions at the right time and his ability to dissect data are invaluable. “You couldn’t ask for a more helpful teammate when it comes to his knowledge of the game and what he is providing from an informational standpoint,” he said.

Currently, Busch and Dillon sit P18 and P24 in the points standings, respectively. While Busch’s season highlights include a top-five finish at COTA — where he led 42 laps but came up short on the final lap — and three other top-10 results, Dillon has managed three top-10 finishes of his own.

Whether Busch can snap his winless streak remains to be seen, but his influence at RCR is undeniable.