Richard Childress Racing has selected the crew chief for Kyle Busch in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Somewhat surprisingly, that selection — Jim Pohlman — isn’t currently a Cup Series crew chief.
In fact, Pohlman has never served a full season as a Cup crew chief. And he’s filled this role in just 20 races all-time.
Pohlman’s most recent race atop a Cup Series pit box came in 2022. On that occasion, he called the proverbial shots for full-time RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill as Hill made a cameo Cup appearance.
So, why has a guy with such a paper-thin resume as a Cup Series crew chief been tabbed by RCR to guide the efforts of Kyle Busch and the No. 8 team next season?
Next Crew Chief For Kyle Busch Is No Stranger To Leading A NASCAR Team
Although Jim Pohlman — named by Richard Childress Racing on Wednesday as Kyle Busch’s future crew chief — might not be a household name in the Cup Series garage, he’s left quite a mark in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
As the crew chief for Xfinity driver Justin Allgaier since 2023, Pohlman has won nine races. He and Allgaier made the Championship 4 in their first two seasons together and have an opportunity to do the same this year. Even more notably, Pohlman and Allgaier captured the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship together.
This year, under Pohlman’s guidance, Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports team remain in the title hunt. Allgaier has been to Victory Lane three times in 2025. So, clearly, Pohlman at least knows how to be a good crew chief at the Xfinity level.
“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,” RCR founder and CEO Richard Childress said in a team release. “Jim Pohlman is a relentless competitor in the garage and fits in well with our mission and approach at RCR.”
Beginning with the start of the 2026 NASCAR season, Pohlman will replace Andy Street, who will continue as Busch’s interim crew chief for the remainder of 2025. RCR appointed Street to replace Randall Burnett, who — as announced in late September — will join Trackhouse Racing in 2026.
Burnett had called the shots for the No. 8 team since Busch joined RCR in 2023.
Will Jim Pohlman Be The Crew Chief Kyle Busch Has Been Looking For At RCR?
Since Kyle Busch joined Richard Childress Racing in 2023 after a wildly successful 15-year run at Joe Gibbs Racing, the two-time Cup Series champ has failed to meet expectations in a big way.
Not only has Busch been unable to win a Cup Series race since June 2023. But he’s now missed the playoffs two years in a row.
For a two-time Cup Series champion, those results aren’t just disappointing or surprising. They’re entirely unacceptable. So, consider it no surprise that the guy RCR has opted to pair with Busch is no stranger to success. Even if it’s been in the Xfinity Series.
Before joining JR Motorsports, Pohlman worked at RCR as the Welcome, North Carolina-based organization’s head of research and development.
So his return marks a homecoming of sorts.
“Jim was well-respected during his previous tenure in Welcome,” Richard Childress said. “And we know that he will do a great job leading the No. 8 team and Kyle Busch.”
