Denny Hamlin paints bleak picture for Kyle Busch fans amid RCR struggles: ‘You’re going to be very disappointed’

For years, Kyle Busch set the standard in the NASCAR Cup Series. But according to longtime rival and former teammate Denny Hamlin, the reality in 2026 looks very different, and it’s time for fans to adjust their expectations.

Speaking candidly on Actions Detrimental, Hamlin didn’t sugarcoat his evaluation of Busch’s recent struggles with Richard Childress Racing: “It’s time to be honest about what’s going on,” Hamlin stated. “I just think that this is not new. He’s struggled for five years now. So, we just have to be honest about our expectations.”

That honesty leads to a harsh conclusion: “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves, and you’re going to be very disappointed,” Hamlin concluded. 

Alas, Busch’s numbers back up the concern. After finishing 25th at Bristol, the two-time Cup Series champion has dropped to 24th in the standings. He’s finished 21st or worse in four consecutive races and is still searching for his first top-10 of the 2026 season.

It’s a stark contrast to the start of his tenure at RCR in 2023, when Busch won three races in his first 15 starts. But as Hamlin pointed out, that success came during a time when teams were still figuring out the Next Gen car.

“That was the first year of Next Gen. Everyone was guessing,” Hamlin explained. “Now that everything is coming out in the wash, you’re seeing these cars running closer together.”

In today’s Cup Series, margins are razor thin, and consistency is everything. Hamlin believes Busch has struggled to extract speed from the Next Gen platform on a weekly basis, even if flashes still exist.

“The good weeks are actually the outliers,” Hamlin delineated. “It’s just not working. … I don’t have the answers.”

That’s what makes the situation even more difficult to process. Busch’s talent has never been in question. Hamlin himself admitted as much, saying he “can’t hold the guy’s helmet talent-wise.” But even elite ability hasn’t been enough to overcome the current performance gap.

And for a driver known for his relentless competitiveness, that reality is likely taking a toll: “He’s a competitor who hates losing,” Hamlin said. “I know it’s eating at him alive. … It’s starting to be normal.”

For now, Hamlin’s message is clear. Until something changes, whether it’s the car, the team or something else entirely, this may simply be the new reality for one of NASCAR’s all-time greats.