A crew chief change will take place after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November. Randall Burnett will part ways with Richard Childress Racing to join Trackhouse Racing.
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According to a Tuesday announcement, the veteran crew chief will head to Trackhouse starting in 2026 so that he can guide rising driver Connor Zilisch. Burnett will join forces with the rookie, who will replace Daniel Suarez in the three-car lineup.
"Stoked to welcome Randall to the team! Can't wait for next year," Zilisch posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Burnett, a Missouri native, has been atop the pit box since the 2016 Cup Series season. He spent his first season with AJ Allmendinger at JTG Daugherty Racing — now Hyak Motorsports. He then spent much of the 2017 season in Xfinity while working with a variety of drivers.
Burnett guided the No. 2 Xfinity team in 2018 while working with Matt Tifft, and then he joined forces with Tyler Reddick in 2019. This season featured extensive success as the No. 2 team celebrated six wins and the championship.
Burnett followed Reddick up to the Cup Series in 2020, and he has remained the leader of the No. 8 team ever since. He spent three seasons with Reddick, which included a three-win campaign in 2022.
Kyle Busch then took over the entry in 2023 and added three more wins to his Hall of Fame resume. However, the team has not yet returned to victory lane since. Busch went winless last season, marking the first time in his full-time Cup Series career. He missed the playoffs.
Busch is winless through 30 races this season. He only has six more opportunities to avoid his second consecutive winless season.
With this change, Richard Childress Racing will have to find a new crew chief for Busch and the No. 8 team in 2026 and beyond. This will provide an opportunity for a new voice to step in and see how they gel with the two-time Cup Series champion.
