Is Kyle Busch Close to Retiring from the Xfinity Series?

Kyle Busch won in the Xfinity Series for the 89th time in his career on Saturday, and claims he wants to retire with 100 wins. But is this more fact or fiction?

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By far, the most dominant driver in the history of the Xfinity Series is Kyle Busch. Like him or not, whenever he races in NASCAR‘s #2 division, he is a contender for race wins. Many have argued that the recent rules restricting Cup driver participation in lower divisions is the “Kyle Busch rule”. But could his days racing there be numbered?

Following his latest win in the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch reached the 89-win mark in the series. By comparison, the second-winningest driver in Xfinity is Mark Martin with just 49 victories. But apparently Busch has plans of when he wants to stop winning:

"“Retirement is fast approaching, so I’m looking forward to that,” Busch quipped before explaining further. “When I get to 100 XFINITY wins, I’m done with XFINITY. So my retirement with XFINITY is fast approaching.”"

Hearing Kyle Busch say that he wants to retire from the Xfinity Series alone is shocking. Busch has seen the majority of his success thanks to the series, often winning on Saturday leading to another win on Sunday. But perhaps it has become a drain on his energy and stamina, especially with a young family that he wishes to spend time with.

On the other side, fans and drivers who have been clamoring for further limits on Cup moonlighters in Xfinity and Trucks may get their wish. Busch is often the top target of critics for stealing wins from deserving up and coming drivers, as he is one of the few Cup drivers to race in all three divisions. While his retirement from Xfinity will not completely eliminate this issue, it will cut out one of the largest culprits of it.

While reaching 100 wins may not happen until the end of this decade for Kyle Busch, it becomes an important question for Joe Gibbs Racing as to who takes his place in their driver rotation. Matt Tifft has underwhelmed in his first full year with JGR in Xfinity, and the team certainly has two up-and-coming drivers waiting in Kyle Benjamin and Christopher Bell. It would surprise no one to see one or both of these drivers in full-time Xfinity rides in the next few years.

Next: Truex Jr. on Pole for Overton's 301 at New Hampshire

What do you think of Kyle Busch’s comments? Do you think he will retire from the Xfinity Series when he hits 100 wins, or will he keep racing? Comment below with your thoughts on the former champion and the role he plays in NASCAR’s junior division.

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