NASCAR Fans Vehemently Defend Kyle Busch After Denny Hamlin Is Perfectly Set Up to Overtake Cup Tally

Performance usually dips in motorsports once a driver hits their 40s, with physical attributes such as reflexes and endurance levels declining. Well, there are always exceptions. The 45-year-old Denny Hamlin, for instance, has been altering that narrative.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is, in fact, closing in on Kyle Busch’s career victory tally, leaving his fans a bit jittery. Hamlin reached Victory Lane at Las Vegas on Sunday, securing the 61st Cup Series win of his career.

Hamlin, with consistent performances, has caught up with fellow veteran Busch over the past few years. In the summer of 2019, he had 33 wins, 22 behind Busch, who had 55 at the time. Seven years down the road, he is just two wins away from equaling Busch’s current total of 63. The pace at which Hamlin has caught up shows the contrast in how the two have fared in recent seasons.

However, fans believe that the biggest reason Hamlin has been able to close the gap this quickly is the team he drives for. One fan highlighted this on X, stating that Hamlin stayed with a strong team in Joe Gibbs Racing, while Busch went to Richard Childress Racing in 2023.

“One stayed with a real cup contender, and Kyle Busch went to RCR,” wrote the fan. Yes, Busch won three races in his maiden season with RCR, but he has remained winless ever since.

“Great point that in equal equipment, Denny couldn’t hold Kyle’s jock strap,” wrote another fan, even as others chimed in. “Imagine if Kyle wasn’t driving RCR sh*tboxes,” read a comment. These statements won’t land well with Hamlin’s fans. 

Before RCR, Busch was also a driver with Joe Gibbs Racing. Perhaps his luck would have fared better if he had stayed with them. “Busch races for a dog sh*t team,” another fan commented, reiterating that RCR is to be blamed for Hamlin’s dominance over Busch.

Hamlin hit another milestone with his victory in Vegas. The No. 11 driver joined Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Richard Petty, and Mark Martin as the only drivers to win five or more races after reaching 700 career starts. Busch, meanwhile, has made 56 starts since hitting the 700 mark and has not won a single race.

All signs point to the possibility that Hamlin will soon overtake Busch on the all-time wins list. The only way for the RCR driver to slow that outcome is by reaching Victory Lane as early as this Sunday at Darlington. That seems extremely unlikely given the car he is driving.