Jim Pohlman will join Richard Childress Racing next season as the crew chief for Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team.
Pohlman is the current team leader for Justin Allgaier at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. He guided Allgaier to his first series championship in 2024, a long-awaited championship for the veteran and fan favorite, and the two are in position to again advance into the title race with two races left in the Round of 8.
Childress is not unfamiliar to Pohlman, who previously worked with the organization as head of research and development. He will replace Randall Burnett, who worked with Busch for three seasons.
“Everyone at Richard Childress Racing remains focused on improving performance and is committed to putting the right people in place, including on the No. 8 team,” team owner Richard Childress said. “Jim Pohlman is a relentless competitor in the garage and fits in well with our mission and approach at RCR. He was well-respected during his previous tenure in Welcome, and we know that he will do a great job leading the No. 8 team and Kyle Busch.”
Busch returns to Childress for his fourth season in 2026 after the option on his contract was picked up. In his first season driving for Childress, Busch won three races with Burnett, but the team has been winless since and missed the playoffs the last two seasons. In September, Trackhouse Racing announced that Burnett was joining its organization next season.
Andy Street is serving as Busch’s crew chief for the final five races of the season. Street took over ahead of the Charlotte Roval after Childress moved Burnett off his team.