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NASCAR: The one Xfinity Series argument that actually helps Kyle Busch

By Asher Fair

AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 09: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Extreme Concepts/iK9 Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series iK9 Service Dog 200 at ISM Raceway on March 9, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 09: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Extreme Concepts/iK9 Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series iK9 Service Dog 200 at ISM Raceway on March 9, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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When it comes to where Kyle Busch ranks among the all-time greatest NASCAR drivers, the fact that he competes in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series so much is generally used against him. But there is one argument regarding him competing in the Xfinity Series that actually helps his case.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch secured his 200th career NASCAR victory by winning Sunday’s Cup Series race, the Auto Club 400, at Auto Club Speedway. As a result, he is now tied with seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty for the most victories in NASCAR history.

However, Petty’s career Cup Series win total is an all-time record 200. Only one driver, 105-time Cup Series race winner David Pearson, has won more than half of the number of Cup Series races that Petty has. Meanwhile, Busch’s career Cup Series win total of 53 ranks 11th on the all-time Cup Series wins list.

This is the case because of the fact that the 33-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native has earned 147 of his 200 career NASCAR victories in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series.

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In fact, Busch’s career Cup Series win percentage in 503 career starts is 10.54% while his combined career Xfinity Series and Truck Series win percentage in a combined 495 career starts is a whopping 29.70%.

But while this is frequently used against Busch when it is brought up that he has earned the same number of victories over the course of his NASCAR career as Petty did and many critics of the 2015 Cup Series champion claim that he is essentially “stealing candy from babies” by competing in the Xfintiy Series and Truck Series, there is one argument pertaining to his career Xfinity Series win total that actually helps him in terms of where he should be ranked among NASCAR’s all-time greats.

First off, it is worth noting that Busch’s career Xfinity Series win total is by far the highest of his career Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series win totals. He has earned 53 career Cup Series victories, an all-time record (by far) 94 career Xfinity Series victories and an all-time record 53 career Truck Series victories.

But what allows Busch to stand out in this light is not just the fact that his career Xfinity Series win total is so high. Take a look at some of the other drivers on the all-time Xfinity Series wins list.

Rounding out the top 10 on this list are Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Jack Ingram, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (wins the tiebreaker over Tommy Houston due to competing in fewer races – 140 to 443).

Here is a list of the 10 winningest drivers in Xfinity Series history.

  1. Kyle Busch – 94 wins
  2. Mark Martin – 49 wins
  3. Kevin Harvick – 47 wins
  4. Brad Keselowski – 39 wins
  5. Carl Edwards – 38 wins
  6. Jack Ingram – 31 wins
  7. Joey Logano – 30 wins
  8. Matt Kenseth – 29 wins
  9. Jeff Burton – 27 wins
  10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 24 wins

Of these nine drivers, only Ingram did not truly make a name for himself as a full-time Cup Series driver. Here is a list of the career Cup Series win totals of the 10 winningest drivers in Xfinity Series history.

  1. Kyle Busch – 53 wins
  2. Kevin Harvick – 45 wins
  3. Mark Martin – 40 wins
  4. Matt Kenseth – 39 wins
  5. Brad Keselowski – 28 wins
  6. Carl Edwards – 28 wins
  7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 26 wins
  8. Joey Logano – 22 wins
  9. Jeff Burton – 21 wins
  10. Jack Ingram – 0 wins

In other words, nine of the 10 winningest drivers in Xfinity Series history are Cup Series drivers. Of these nine drivers, only Kenseth and Earnhardt Jr. have career Cup Series win totals that are higher than their career Xfinity Series win totals.

So Busch isn’t simply just going around “stealing candy from babies” like his critics want you to believe, and if he is, so are several other top-tier Cup Series drivers.

In fact, not only is Busch’s career Xfinity Series win total far greater than the career Xfinity Series win totals of these other eight drivers. His career Xfinity Series win percentage is better than all of their career Xfinity Series win percentages as well — and by far.

Here are the career Xfinity Series win percentages of the 10 winningest drivers in Xfinity Series history.

  1. Kyle Busch – 27.01% (94 wins in 348 races)
  2. Mark Martin – 20.76% (49 wins in 236 races)
  3. Joey Logano – 17.24% (30 wins in 174 races)
  4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 17.14% (24 wins in 140 races)
  5. Carl Edwards – 15.51% (38 wins in 245 races)
  6. Brad Keselowski – 15.29% (39 wins in 255 races)
  7. Kevin Harvick – 13.58% (47 wins in 346 races)
  8. Jack Ingram – 11.27% (31 wins in 275 races)
  9. Matt Kenseth – 10.07% (29 wins in 288 races)
  10. Jeff Burton – 8.82% (27 wins in 306 races)

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While it is hard to say the same for his Truck Series win total, there is an element of Kyle Busch’s Xfinity Series win total that actually helps him in terms of where he should be ranked among NASCAR‘s all-time greats, and with all things considered, this is no small element.

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