By: MADISON MCCARTHY / DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
Kyle Busch secured the win at the final race at Auto Club Speedway for his 61st Cup Series win. Busch has now won a race in each of the past 19 years consecutively, the longest streak in NASCAR history. He now ranks ninth on the all-time NASCAR Xfinity Series (102) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (63) wins list. Busch is the all-time record-holder for wins in both.
The win also breaks a drought for Kyle as the first win on a paved oval track since May of 2021. Kyle also joins his brother, Kurt Busch, for a combined 95 wins, making them the winningest brothers in NASCAR history.
Busch’s most recent win comes on the same track his first career victory did in 2005. Fontana, California has been good to Busch over the years, accounting for five of his wins in the series. It has recently been reported that NASCAR sold the majority of the land that is home to the 2-mile track for $543 million. Fans are hopeful the remaining land will be used for a short track in the next few years.
Busch reminisced about the California speedway in his post-race interview,
“That’s what I enjoy the most about this racetrack. ... It’s big, it gets spread out, but man, you can move around and you can spread out and you can make your own destiny by trying to find something else that will help work for your race car. It’s a sad day for me to see this racetrack be in its last race, being a two-mile configuration. Glad I was able to win the final run here.”
Busch’s #8 Chevrolet found victory lane in the second points race of the season and Busch’s third appearance with Richard Childress Racing. Busch previously spent 15 years driving the #18 M&M Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs racing. Busch cut ties with JGR after his long-time sponsor in Mars Candy left the sport entirely.
Busch’s departure from JGR left him to rebrand his truck series team. Kyle Busch Motorsports has been a long-time developmental program for Toyota Racing Development. For the past decade, KBM has been an early stop for many top-tier drivers inside the Toyota camp and across the sport. There are ten drivers, including Kyle, who have found themselves behind the wheel of a KBM truck.
The team saw a complete change in the driver lineup with a manufacturer change. In November of 2022, KBM announced Chase Purdy would pilot the No. 4 full-time in a multi-year deal beginning in 2023; the No. 51 would be shared by Busch, Jack Wood, and other rotating drivers. Hendrick Motorsports driver of the #24, William Bryon, recently announced his return to a KBM truck. Byron will drive the team’s No. 51 Chevrolet on April 8 at Bristol Motor Speedway, May 12 at Darlington Raceway, and May 20 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The Las Vegas native also ran all three NASCAR national series races in the fourth week of the regular season. On Friday, Busch took home the victory in the Craftsman Truck Series race in the Kyle Busch Motorsports #51 Chevrolet. On Saturday, March 4th, Busch piloted the #10 Chevy for Kaulig Racing, finishing 4th. Busch wrapped up the weekend 14th in the Cup series race on Sunday.
Adding to the Busch family legacy, Kyle’s son Brexton is racing in Las Vegas as well. On Saturday, March 4, Brexton Busch made his West Coast Bandolero debut in the Bash at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Bullring, which was established in 1985, saw Brexton's grandfather, Tom Busch, emerge as the winner of its inaugural race. Later in the 1990s, Brexton's uncle and former NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch, won over 30 races at the Bullring.
The youngest Busch took home 2nd in his West Coast debut at only seven years old. Brexton also made headlines last year when he received a “contract option” from Richard Childress following his dad’s signing with the team.
Busch and the #8 team currently sit ninth in the cup series standings after week four at Phoenix raceway, where Busch finished eighth. The 2023 Cup series season continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, March 19th, at 3 p.m.
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