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Kyle Busch: 18 moments for driver No. 18
By Zack Albert | Published: March 25, 2020 19
Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Kyle Busch's meteoric rise into NASCAR's history books hit a major landmark with his 200th national series victory in 2019. We reflected on 18 memorable moments and defining developments (in chronological order) for driver No. 18.
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Diverse debuts: Kyle Busch's first Gander Trucks start came in 2001 for owner Jack Roush, a stellar ninth-place run at Indianapolis Raceway Park. A seven-race tryout in what's now the Xfinity Series in 2003 preceded a six-race opening stint in NASCAR's top division the following year, driving a No. 84 Chevrolet for team owner Rick Hendrick.
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First flash of victory: Busch's opening volley in his quest for 200 wins came in what's now known as the Xfinity Series, on May 14, 2004, at Richmond Raceway for Hendrick Motorsports. Four more Xfinity wins followed that season, resulting in a second-place finish in the standings to champion Martin Truex Jr. -- now his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing.
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Strike one for youth: Busch became the youngest winner (at the time) in NASCAR's premier series on Sept. 4, 2005, prevailing at Auto Club Speedway at 20 years old. He led 95 of the 254 laps, edging Greg Biffle at the finish.
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Brotherly clash: Kyle and Kurt Busch both possessed strong cars in the NASCAR All-Star Challenge on May 19, 2007, but neither wanted to give as the invitational wound down to the finish. Both crashed 18 laps from the end, touching off heated reactions and fraying their family dynamic.
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Change of course: After three full seasons at Hendrick Motorsports, Busch was welcomed as Joe Gibbs Racing's newest driver on Aug. 14, 2007. Busch's change in career path set him on an arc for more success. It did so for Toyota as well, giving the manufacturer its first Cup Series win early in the 2008 campaign.
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Night of reckoning: A spin heard 'round the world came May 3, 2008, when Kyle Busch bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. with three laps left in regulation, sending his No. 88 ride into the outside wall. The incident ignited their rivalry and their fan bases, and cemented Busch's already well-earned reputation as a hard-nosed racer.
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Short-track seconds: Busch was on the wrong end of a bump-and-run move from Carl Edwards' No. 99 Ford in the late stages of the 2008 edition of Bristol Motor Speedway's annual night race. After Edwards drove away to victory, Busch clanged doors with Edwards' car and was on the receiving end of a retaliatory spin.
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First title: Busch rolled to the 2009 championship in the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series, assembling a nine-win season with a remarkable 25 top-five finishes in 35 races in the No. 18 Toyota.
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Ownership stake: Busch took the plunge of forming his own team on Dec. 11, 2009, announcing the birth of Kyle Busch Motorsports. "To be a team owner in this series is a perfect match," Busch said at the announcement. Since opening its doors, KBM has helped further the careers of current Cup drivers Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones.
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Triple treat: Busch became the first driver to make a NASCAR tripleheader sweep on Aug. 21, 2010, breaking out the broom in Bristol Motor Speedway's Victory Lane.
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Lady in Black fracas: Busch's tensions with Kevin Harvick boiled over on May 7, 2011, at Darlington Raceway with a late-race bumping duel and post-race confrontation on pit road, all while Regan Smith rolled to his first Cup victory. The two crews sparred in the garage after Busch pushed Harvick's car aside on pit road post-race.
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First century mark: Kyle Busch got halfway to national series win No. 200 after winning the Xfinity Series' New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, 2011. His 100th victory was also a record-tying 49th in Xfinity competition, where he is now the all-time wins leader. "It will stick out for a long time because it is No. 100," Busch said. "But I'm not going to say it's the biggest one. This is certainly a special day."
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The Shootout Save: One of the greatest saves in recent memory came from Kyle Busch, whose No. 18 Toyota showered the rest of the field with sparks after being nudged into a long slide during The Clash -- then called the Budweiser Shootout -- at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18, 2012. Stunningly, Busch recovered from this skid to win the preseason exhibition with a last-lap pass of Tony Stewart at the start-finish line.
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The crash: Kyle Busch suffered severe leg injuries in the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 21, 2015. The wreck forced him out of the first 11 races of the season and had the potential to be career-altering, but Busch focused on getting back to business in one of the sport's biggest comeback stories.
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Rowdy crowned: Busch recovered from his injuries to win four races in a hot summer stretch, then capped his campaign with a title-clinching triumph in the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale on Nov. 22, 2015. His first NASCAR Cup Series championship came in his 11th full-time season at NASCAR's top level.
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A 600 victor: Busch finally grabbed his first points-paying win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2018, claiming the Coca-Cola 600. "To be able to come out here and win the Coca-Cola 600, it's a little boy’s dream come true," said Busch, who checked off the final box in recording wins at every active NASCAR Cup Series track -- although the Charlotte Roval was later added to the list.
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Record trucker: Kyle Busch takes his trademark bow at Atlanta Motor Speedway after scoring the 52nd win of his Gander Trucks career on Feb. 23, 2019. The victory broke a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. for the series' all-time wins lead.
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The double-century mark: A hot start to the season -- winning six times in 10 races -- resulted in Kyle Busch's 200th NASCAR national series victory at Auto Club Speedway, the site of his first triumph in NASCAR's top division. Busch made bookends at the California track with a dominating performance, leading 134 of 200 laps and charging back from a pit-road speeding penalty to hoist a commemorative flag.