The enduring legacy of Kyle Busch’s ownership in the Cup Series
Daniel Suárez secured a victory at the Coca-Cola 600 this Sunday, but his post-race thoughts were centered entirely on the man who built his career: Kyle Busch. Passing away at age 41 last week, Busch was more than a former teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing; he was a mentor who took a young Suárez under his wing in 2015. “He didn’t have to help this Mexican kid who could barely speak English,” Suárez said. It is a side of the man many never saw, but one that undeniably altered the landscape of the sport.
The stats behind Kyle Busch Motorsports are staggering. Excluding Busch’s own 47 wins since 2010, the KBM influence is woven into the fabric of the current Cup Series. This season, 27.2% of all Cup Series starts were made by drivers who logged time with KBM in the O’Reilly, Trucks, or ARCA Menards Series. Last season, that footprint was even larger, with 38.9% of all Cup Series wins belonging to former KBM drivers.
From perennial title contenders like William Byron and Christopher Bell to race winners such as Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, and Suárez himself, the garage is populated by the fruits of Busch’s labor. Names like Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin also graced the KBM roster. It is a stunning, undeniable testament to a legacy that will continue to race on, long after the man himself has left the track.
