There used to be a time when Kyle Busch was a regular contender for the win every weekend. Those days seem long behind the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Younger drivers like Christopher Bell and William Byron are running the show today.
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Interestingly, many of these drivers graduated from the ranks of Kyle Busch Motorsports before becoming Cup Series hotshots. So, how does Rowdy feel about going from mentor to competitor? He was recently conversing with Kevin Harvick on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast when the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver asked him this question.
He responded by stating that he takes pride in watching the ones he taught race craft achieve huge accolades. But then, there is also an ounce of jealousy, him being who he is.
He said, “Honestly, it makes you feel a little bit of that jealousy factor. Like, man! I want to be there. I want to be racing with those guys. Challenging with those guys being in that final four that I remember being a part of five years in a row. I would love to and want to get back to that point.”
He continued to note that being able to do so would mean a lot more now, considering his age and the caliber of the younger drivers he is up against. Five races have been checked in the 2025 Cup Series season. Busch has secured three top-10 finishes with his #8 Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing. He isn’t far behind the competition.
The best drivers to come up through Kyle Busch Motorsports
Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, and many others have graduated to the Cup Series after racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. The most notable of the lot are Bell and Byron. They’ve both won races this season already and talking about them is in perfect relevance.
Bell raced for the team full-time in 2016 and 2017. He won the 2017 championship and recorded seven wins across 57 races. He also has 28 top-5s and 43 top-10s. He has won three of the five races in the Cup Series this year and is at the top of his form. Busch will have a hard time getting the better of him.
Byron sits at the top of the points table right now. He won the Daytona 500 and has been extremely consistent with his results. For Kyle Busch Motorsports, he has seven victories in 27 races. His best finish was fifth in the 2016 Truck Series standings. Along with Bell, he is one of the favorites to be a first-time Cup Series champion this year.
