In NASCAR, rivalries often take root even among teammates, especially when playoff contention sharpens the stakes and individual goals take precedence. That dynamic once defined the early relationship between Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, but over time, competition gave way to mutual respect and a shared drive to raise the bar within Joe Gibbs Racing [when Busch was still in JGR].
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Recalling the turning point, Hamlin shared a story during a podcast appearance with Busch. He said, “I knew that my game was gonna have to get stepped up because like, remember we at that Atlanta test? We just kept going back and forth. It was his first time in a JGR car, head to head with me, and he’s like, ‘I just want to see how I stacked up against you.'”
The two traded fastest laps throughout the day, neither backing down. Hamlin would set the pace, only for Busch to better it moments later. Busch chimed in, “The whole day. Yeah, it was like 12 times. It was great.” But that exchange sealed their working relationship.
As Busch put it, “I think that that right there sort of just solidified our relationship for one another, of like I’m going to push you and you’re going to push me and we’re going to make JGR as great as we can.”
Hamlin later credited Busch for helping him elevate his performance on intermediate ovals. Observing Busch’s technique on mile-and-a-half tracks reshaped Hamlin’s approach. He cited a Charlotte test as a key moment.
After climbing into Busch’s #18 car, Hamlin immediately noticed a difference in feel, so stark it felt like driving for another manufacturer. That experience prompted Hamlin to refine his own feedback, tailoring his setup requests to mirror the characteristics he had observed in Busch’s car.
Kyle Busch was Carl Edwards’ best teammate
In 2015, when Carl Edwards was asked to name his favorite driver, he immediately pointed to Kyle Busch, stating, “I’m really grateful to have Kyle Busch as a teammate because he’s so fast that he’s driving all of us forward. He is setting the bar so high, there’s no excuses.”
The two shared the track as teammates in 61 races across the 2015 and 2016 seasons, combining for 14 victories. Edwards closed out 2015 ranked fifth in the standings, while Busch, despite missing 11 races due to injury, won the championship. The following year, Busch finished third with four wins, and Edwards placed fourth, collecting three victories.
That stretch of success likely played a role in Edwards developing a deep respect for Busch’s capabilities behind the wheel.
