Richard Childress Racing announced this week that Jim Pohlman, the current crew chief of Xfinity Series star Justin Allgaier, will join Kyle Busch's No. 8 team in 2026. The news sent strong tremors across the industry, for Pohlman's expertise and knowledge could potentially revive the waning career of the two-time Cup Series champion.
As the hype for this duo continues to soar through the roof, Austin Dillon refused to take any credit for the signing during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Dillon is the grandson of team owner Richard Childress and has expressed a strong interest in taking over the big man's seat sometime in the future.
While he could have easily savoured at least a tiny bit of the pie by highlighting his role in signing Pohlman, he graciously chose to hail those who were more instrumental in the entire process.
He said, "I don't get a lot of credit for the interview process. I think Richard Boswell, my dad, Kyle [Busch], Andy Street, and some of those were the ones who went through that. I definitely had some say in the candidates that we talked to." The team had initially looked internally to fill the role, but decided against it for an important reason.
Why Childress Did Not Hire Internally
Dillon explained, "We needed to look internally first to build the culture at RCR. We interviewed some of the guys here at RCR, and Jim's name came to the front because most of the guys at RCR we needed in the positions they were in."
He believes that Jim's experience and familiarity with Richard Childress Racing gave him an advantage in the selection process, on top of his incredible achievements with Allgaier at JR Motorsports. Pohlman and Allgaier have won nine races together since 2023 and also lifted the 2024 Xfinity Series title together.
While the crew chief had every emotional reason to stay put with JR Motorsports, he took the opportunity that came his way to fulfill his long-term ambition to crew chief in NASCAR's highest level and win races. This hunger could be nothing but helpful for Busch, who has struggled to win races for over two years.
🗣️ @austindillon3 discusses @RCRracing hiring Jim Pohlman to crew chief for @KyleBusch in 2026.
💭 "Jim's experience and his familiarity with RCR probably gave him an inside track."
🎧: https://t.co/amO5vfCeZJpic.twitter.com/qGIT0fnf01
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 16, 2025
Dillon continued to declare, "The credit really goes to the group of guys and Kyle working together to get the right guy. I think Kyle was in on the process from the beginning."
Boswell is Dillon's crew chief in the Cup Series, and Andy Street took over the role as Busch's crew chief for the rest of the season after the news of Randall Burnett joining Trackhouse Racing came out last month.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
