Randall Burnett is out as Kyle Busch’s crew chief sooner than he expected.
Days after Burnett revealed that he would leave Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet team after the season to become the crew chief for Connor Zilisch next season, Richard Childress Racing announced on Wednesday that Burnett would be replaced effective immediately.
Andy Street is taking over as Busch’s crew chief beginning with the Sunday race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval.
RCR added in a statement, “Burnett will continue contributing in a support role with the organization through the end of the season.”
Burnett has been the No. 8 car’s crew chief since 2020, working the first three of those seasons with driver Tyler Reddick.
Busch has been behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet since 2023. In his first season with Burnett and RCR, Busch recorded wins at Fontana, Calif.; Talladega, Ala.; and Madison, Ill.; and qualified for the playoffs, finishing the season in 14th place.
Last year, Busch had no wins but runner-up results at the summer Daytona race and at Darlington, S.C., ending up 20th in the point standings. He hasn’t finished higher than fifth place in a race this year, and he sits 21st in points.
Zilisch, 19, is viewed as a rising star after earning eight wins this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In one recent stretch, he won seven of eight races.
