The success of Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR can be attributed to a few remarkable drivers. The most important and iconic of them all are Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. With his victory at Darlington, Hamlin reached the 56-win mark and tied with Busch as the team’s most successful driver. But seldom are there unbreakable ties in racing.
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Hamlin’s win count with JGR is replicative of his career wins. However, Busch has shifted camps multiple times and has won 63 races, of which 56 were for JGR, throughout his career. It is easy to see in which category each of these drivers has an edge over the other when analysing their achievements with the team.
Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 three times. It is one of the most telling feats of his time as a driver. Busch, on the other hand, has never secured a victory at the Great American Race. What he does have, though, are two Cup Series championships. Despite all his caliber and skill, Hamlin has never been crowned a champion.
The question of who was a better driver for JGR can be answered only after Hamlin has quit the team. He is currently firing on all cylinders in the 2025 Cup Series season and sits second on the points table after nine races. A championship before he retires will turn the odds in his favor and make it easy to pitch him above Busch for all time.
Was Hamlin jealous of Busch’s success with JGR?
After winning in Darlington, Hamlin mentioned in the race shop that the possibility of tying with Busch to be the team’s most successful driver was what pushed him to Victory Lane. An admirable competitive spirit, no doubt. However, one can’t help but wonder if he felt the same urge to better Busch back when they were teammates.
He admitted on his podcast back in 2023, “I’ve been in that position, absolutely, where Kyle Busch, when he first came in, Matt Kenseth, probably in 2013. I’ve had plenty of years when guys in the same equipment as me were outperforming me week-in, week-out, and absolutely, it is frustrating.”
But this emotion never turned down an ugly route. Hamlin had huge respect for Busch and still does. When Rowdy announced that he would be joining Richard Childress Racing, Hamlin said, “For me, personally, Kyle made me a better race car driver. That’s just the best way that I can sum it up.”
He also mentioned rather humbly that he was grateful to have Busch as a teammate and that a lot of his professional success can be owed to him.
