Denny Hamlin, a cornerstone of Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of 23XI Racing, is raising a question that has many NASCAR fans puzzled: what has happened to Kyle Busch? On his popular "Actions Detrimental" podcast, Hamlin suggested the two-time Cup Series champion's competitive downturn isn't a recent blip but a trend that began years ago, even while they were teammates.
The numbers are stark. It's been over 100 races since Busch last visited Victory Lane, a win that came at Gateway in June of 2023. Since his high-profile move to Richard Childress Racing, the struggle has been pronounced. Notably, his teammate Austin Dillon has recently strung together wins, while Busch has not consistently outperformed the iconic No. 3 car—a fact Hamlin finds particularly telling for a driver of Busch's legendary caliber.
"We keep talking about this, but the last couple of years at Joe Gibbs Racing was not good; it's been like this for five years," Hamlin stated. He argues that a driver considered among the all-time greats should be decisively beating a teammate with far fewer career wins, a standard Busch currently isn't meeting.
Hamlin points to the NextGen car as a central challenge, suggesting Busch "just doesn't know how to consistently get speed out of it." While Busch captured three wins in 2023 during the car's early, unpredictable phase, the playing field has since leveled dramatically. In this new era of heightened parity, Hamlin believes the onus falls more heavily on the driver to find an edge.
"This is just my opinion... but I just think that this is not new," Hamlin admitted, acknowledging Busch's immense talent while stressing a need for realistic expectations. He offered a sobering assessment for fans hoping for a sudden return to form: "If you're expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane, you're going to be very disappointed."
Ultimately, Hamlin confesses he doesn't have the solution, emphasizing he's an observer, not an insider on Busch's team. His commentary underscores a harsh reality in modern NASCAR: adapting to the NextGen car is a complex puzzle, and even the most talented champions can struggle to solve it. For now, the racing world is left watching, waiting to see if "Rowdy" can crack the code once more.