We proceed our weekly ‘Kyle Busch Remembered’ collection with a glance again at his many memorable drives at Atlanta, and truthfully, there have been too many to select from. Busch gained 14 NASCAR races on the observe, and was concerned in a number of different iconic moments past that.
For instance, his 2021 duel with brother Kurt did not even make the listing, nor did his 2009 Truck cost after dropping third gear.
Busch gained 234 victories between Cup, O’Reilly, and Vehicles in his NASCAR profession, and handed away unexpectedly simply days after his last victory. He was 41 years outdated.
Each week since then, we have been highlighting his most spectacular, memorable, and even notorious moments at no matter observe is up subsequent on the NASCAR Cup schedule.
We have already coated Sonoma, Nashville, Michigan, Pocono, and Chicagoland which yow will discover by clicking the names of every observe as talked about. Now, this is a glance again at Rowdy’s best moments at Atlanta…
The primary Cup win for Toyota … ever
Race winner Kyle Busch celebrates
Picture by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.
When Kyle Busch joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, it took him simply 4 races earlier than he reached Victory Lane. This win was very particular, and never simply because it was Busch’s first win together with his new house, however as a result of it was the primary Cup win ever for Toyota as a producer. It was additionally the start of an unbelievable relationship with Gibbs, as Busch earned 56 of his 63 Cup wins with the group, in addition to each of his championships.
A part of the closest three-wide picture end in NASCAR historical past
Watch: Hear FOX Sports activities Latin America’s name of Daniel Suárez’s wild Atlanta win
Busch did not win this race, however we simply needed to embrace it. Early within the 2024 season, Busch was a part of one of the vital iconic finishes within the historical past of NASCAR. Battling Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez for the Cup win at Atlanta, he made a sensational transfer up the center on the ultimate lap, splitting the automobiles of Blaney and Suarez like a wedge. Busch was pulling air off the right-rear of Blaney getting into Flip 3 and Suarez was doing the identical to Busch from the third lane. They had been deadlocked exiting the ultimate nook, and with nobody pushing them, it was a correct drag race. Like fighter pilots in formation, nobody may really inform who gained as they crossed the end line. In the long run, Suarez was declared the winner, simply 0.003s forward of Blaney and solely 0.007s forward of Busch — the closest margin of victory between the highest three finishers within the historical past of NASCAR Cup Sequence racing.
Busch’s 102nd and last NASCAR O’Reilly Sequence win
Whereas Busch loved immense success at each stage of NASCAR, the O’Reilly Sequence is the place 102 of his 234 victories occurred. He gained nearly 30% of the O’Reilly races he entered in his profession, and three of these had been at Atlanta. In 2021, he led 97 of 164 laps from pole to win at Atlanta — one other traditional episode of the ‘Kyle Busch Present.’ He additionally needed to combat off Jeb Burton in an additional time restart, preserving issues shut on the finish. Nevertheless, this one was totally different, as a result of it was final O’Reilly checkered flag of his profession. Type of ironic too, as he completed final in his first-ever Atlanta O’Reilly race 18 years earlier.
Unreal drive to win 2005 NASCAR Truck race
To this present day, footage of this 2005 Truck end is thrilling to look at. Busch was ninth on recent tires for a three-lap shootout, and it was a single-file restart. Nonetheless, he instantly started to slice by the sphere, driving everywhere in the observe as he surged ahead. On the white flag, he was third. Down the backstretch, it was solely Jack Sprague between him and victory. Busch jumped to the skin by the ultimate set of corners and received squeezed up into the wall as Sprague misplaced management. Bobby Labonte, additionally on recent tires, was proper there as properly, with Johnny Benson spinning beneath him. Labonte and Busch had been seemingly going to be side-by-side, however the spinning truck of Sprague collected Labonte with Busch narrowly avoiding him as he charged to the end line within the chaotic end.
Changing into the all-time wins chief in Vehicles
In 2019, Busch earned a milestone win at Atlanta within the Truck Sequence. It was his 52nd within the third stage of NASCAR, which formally made him the winningest driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence historical past, a title he’s more likely to maintain for a really very long time. Busch gained the race by nearly a second over Johnny Sauter, and broke a tie with four-time collection champion Ron Hornaday Jr. for the No. 1 spot.
Three consecutive NASCAR Truck Atlanta wins on the finish of his profession
Even lately with the reconfigured model Atlanta, Busch remained practically unbeatable in Vehicles on the observe. Actually, it was much more spectacular now with how shut and unpredictable trendy Atlanta races are. Busch gained the Atlanta Truck race in every of the final three years — 2024, 2025, and 2026. Sadly, he will not get the possibility to increase that file, nevertheless it was fairly the present to see how he managed the pack during the last three years. In 2024, he beat Ty Majeski by just below two tenths, and in 2026, he was simply over a tenth away from Carson Hocevar in a 1-2 end for Spire. However 2025 was the closest, by far. He defeated Stewart Friesen by a measly 0.017s in a dramatic picture end (the closest Truck end in nearly twenty years). However whereas that was essentially the most essentially the most memorable, Busch’s 2026 win (the penultimate win of his NASCAR profession) is additional particular and bittersweet, because it was the ultimate victory he received to have fun together with his spouse Samantha and son Brexton on the observe.
Kyle Busch Atlanta NASCAR Stats
NASCAR CUP: 33 begins / 2 wins / 1 pole / 10 prime fives / 16 prime tens / 623 laps led
O’REILLY: 14 begins / 3 wins / 6 poles / 10 prime fives / 11 prime tens / 789 laps led
TRUCKS: 16 begins / 9 wins / 2 poles / 12 prime fives / 13 prime tens / 769 laps led
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