Richard Childress dealt awful hand as Kyle Busch fights for NASCAR Playoff life

Richard Childress faced controversy at the Brickyard 400 weekend as Joe Gibbs Racing's Aric Almirola demanded NASCAR ban Childress driver Austin Hill following an incident in Saturday's Xfinity Series race. Hill was parked for five laps and expressed anger, while Childress responded to calls for more severe punishment. This followed a crew chief's critical radio message directed at Childress the previous week.

After stating his team needed more speed, Childress appeared to get his wish early in Sunday's Brickyard 400 Cup Series race. Both his cars, Kyle Busch's No. 8 and Austin Dillon's No. 3, scored points by finishing sixth and ninth respectively in Stage One.

However, both cars were involved in a multi-car incident after a restart, sustaining damage that ruined their races. The crash ended Austin Dillon's race immediately. Kyle Busch's team worked on a plan for the damaged No. 8 car, facing a critical point in their attempt to reach the playoffs on points. Busch entered the race 39 points below the cut-off line, needing strong results to keep his slim championship hopes alive.

Ahead of the race, Busch acknowledged the team's struggle with speed despite decent car balance and drivability. He expressed his love for Indianapolis and confidence in his own performance there, noting the Chevrolet camp's historical speed at the track (referencing Kyle Larson's win the previous year) and his belief they should be competitive.