After the days and weeks looking back at the life and legacy of Kyle Busch following his sudden passing on May 21 at age 41, people started to look to the future.
Specifically, the future of Richard Childress Racing and its No. 33 Chevy in the Cup Series.
Austin Hill has been behind the wheel for all seven races since Busch’s passing and hasn’t done much to sway the minds of people who think he’s bound to keep that seat for 2027. Instead, rumors have begun swirling around other drivers, most notably Noah Gragson.
Jesse Love probably would have been many people’s betting favorites, at least before it was announced that the 2025 O’Reilly Series champion would replace Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 next season.
But ultimately, the title implications of those two seats is slim to none. Love probably won’t take WBR out of the basement of the Cup Series, at least not next year, and neither Gragson nor Hill have shown they can be consistent in Cup. Meanwhile, the title picture is bound to shake up in O’Reilly.
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Love is second in the points currently as the defending champion, Hill is fifth and RCR seem to be the top team to challenge JR Motorsports this season. But what happens next year with one or potentially both seats open?
Enter Carson Brown.
The 17-year-old Brown will turn 18 later this month, making him of legal age to compete on all tracks in the O’Reilly Series. He was signed by RCR as a development driver last November after a breakout 2025 campaign.
On top of a pair of solid ARCA starts, Brown finished second in the ASA STARS National Tour. He won a race at Madison International Speedway, finished runner-up at the All-American 400, had seven top fives and was the championship runner-up to Cole Butcher.
He’s built off that in 2026: three more ASA wins in five races, fourth in the CARS Tour Late Model division and an ARCA Menards Series win at Phoenix Raceway.
Brown tested at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past week in an O’Reilly car, an indication to many that he’s bound for the series next season, likely in the No. 2 Chevy currently occupied by Love. It’s hard to blame anyone for assuming the ink has dried on a deal to run in the series in 2027 considering he’s probably one of the top prospects in the sport not running in the top three national series.
But Brown’s rookie season in the No. 2 would not carry the typical rookie expectations. This is a team that’s been a contender for the owner’s championship since its arrival in the series in 2000. From the 2001 owner’s title to driver’s championships from Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Love, RCR in the O’Reilly Series is almost a given to be good no matter who’s behind the wheel.
The team has been solid even without guys that went on to great Cup success. Only problem for those drivers is they didn’t stick around for long. The patience level for Brown might not be all that high, especially if the No. 21 continues to perform.
Is it possible for Brown to succeed off the bat and contend for a title in 2027? Recent history with Connor Zilisch and Brent Crews indicates he could, especially in winning equipment. But the balance of a rookie driver and the equipment he’s in might make 2027 a season where they work toward the 2028 title. Rack up laps, try and contend for wins and make the 18-year-old comfortable when he has his sophomore campaign.
Hill staying in the No. 21 Chevy would help in that effort, but that’s if he stays in O’Reilly. Having both seats open would create a truly wild offseason for the series considering the amount of Chevy talent that could take them.
Is former RCR driver Anthony Alfredo turning enough heads? Could Christian Eckes make a return to O’Reilly? Is there another prospect out there like Brown who RCR feels is O’Reilly ready? For all the attention RCR’s Cup ride is getting, the questions surrounding what its championship-contending O’Reilly program will do seem to multiply.
James Krause joined Frontstretch in March 2024 as a contributor. Krause was born and raised in Illinois and graduated from Northern Illinois University. He currently works in Fort Wayne, Indiana covering minor league, college and high school sports. Outside of racing, Krause loves to keep up with football, music, anime and video games.
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