After all the contract and sponsorship speculations last season, when Kyle Busch finally found a home at Richard Childress Racing, many in the NASCAR world felt that it was a match made in heaven. After all, if Rowdy had a certain contract and no sponsorship struggles along with a reliable team, all Busch was expected to do was what he has done for almost the entirety of his career – win. Unsurprisingly, this is what Kyle Busch is doing.
Advertisement
Busch seems to be a man on a mission this season, already notching up three wins in the first fifteen races, with no signs of slowing down. With the latest win in Illinois, Busch has entered an elite list that is occupied by some of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen.
Kyle Busch joins Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Darrell Waltrip on Elite List
With the win, Busch is now one of only nine drivers in NASCAR to win three or more races in 11 different seasons. A perfect testament to his longevity, Busch is tied with David Pearson now, one behind NASCAR royalty like Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip.
We are witnessing greatness. @KyleBusch | #NASCAR75 pic.twitter.com/XGRJwF7Hvc
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 6, 2023
Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough are tied on 13, with Hendrick Motorsports Legends Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on 14 and 15 respectively. The King, Richard Petty, stands head and shoulders above everyone at 20, a record that is an unbreakable one, if there is any.
An Even More Impressive List Where Kyle Busch Finds Himself
Busch also finds himself among the list of drivers to win 3 or more times in the first 15 races of a season with a new team. Infact, he is twice on the list, first making it all the way back in an impressive first season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008(after leaving Hendrick Motorsports), when he won four of the first 15 and ended the season with eight victories.
Also on this list are legends like Bill Elliott (4 wins in 1992 with Junior Johnson and Associates), Bobby Allison (3 wins in 1982 with DiGard Motorsports), Mark Martin (3 wins in 2009 with Hendrick Motorsports), Matt Kenseth (3 wins in 2013 with Joe Gibbs Racing), and Martin Truex Jr. (3 wins in 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing).
Although it has been an exceptional start to a new chapter, the only measure of success for someone like Kyle Busch would be a Championship at the end of the season. With eternal rival Joey Logano tying Busch for a second championship last series, Busch would be extra motivated to win his third championship and if that comes a year after he faced so many setbacks, it will indeed be the sweetest of the three.
