NASCAR History: Brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch in Epic Last-Lap Battle at Kentucky

The 2019 Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway saw a finish for the ages. Brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch battled until the final lap of the event as the former beat his younger brother to the start/finish line. It was the first time Kurt had defeated Kyle in a Busch 1-2 finish. It was his first win at Kentucky and 31st of his Cup Series career at the time.

The way the race was going, it seemed like Joey Logano would take the checkered flag. However, Bubba Wallace encountered a problem towards the end, bringing out the final caution. On the overtime restart, the Busch brothers left the competition behind and battled against themselves to the line. Things got hairy as they both were sliding around but ultimately, it was a clean run to the end.

“That was epic. I was hopeful that we would get a shot, just one more restart. We got that yellow … with my little brother. (He’s) the best guy in the world to go race against,” Kurt said after the race as per RACER.

Kurt Busch won the 2019 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky five years ago today. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/XDODgw5opH

— NASCAR Legends (@LegendsNascar) July 14, 2024

The margin of victory was just .076 seconds. A defeat by such a thin margin can often frustrate the driver in P2. However, Kyle was happy that it went down to the line with his brother. Speaking to the media after the race, Rowdy said that it was the first time he had such an intense battle with his brother on such a big stage.

“I’m glad it was a thriller,” he quipped. “It’s obviously cool to put on great races and great finishes, and (I’ve) been a part of a lot of them and not very many—in fact none with my brother like that, so that was a first. No hard feelings, and we move on.”

The love and respect between the siblings were there for everyone to see but they did not give each other an inch on the race track. That’s exactly what one would expect from a top motorsports athlete.