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NASCAR: Joe Gibbs Racing break all-time record with Kyle Busch’s title-clinching win

By Asher Fair

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, celebrates after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead Speedway on November 17, 2019 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, celebrates after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead Speedway on November 17, 2019 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Joe Gibbs Racing broke the all-time NASCAR Cup Series single-season wins record with Kyle Busch’s championship-clinching victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch entered the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway a one-time champion having won the title back in the 2015 season.

He hadn’t won a race since winning at Pocono Raceway in early June, but he ended that 21-race win drought with a victory in this 267-lap Ford EcoBoost 400 around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

Busch was one of the four drivers competing in the Championship 4, so by winning the season finale, he doubled his championship total. He also delivered Joe Gibbs Racing their fifth driver championship and their 19th victory of the season.

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Teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, two of the three Championship 4 drivers against whom Busch was competing, won seven races and six races this season, respectively. Erik Jones, who qualified for the playoffs but was eliminated following the round of 16, won one race at Darlington Raceway.

Never before in Cup Series history had a team won more than 18 races in a season.

Hendrick Motorsports broke the 15-win record that was set by Roush Fenway Racing in the 2005 season with their 18 victories in the 2007 season, including 10 earned by champion Jimmie Johnson, six earned by Jeff Gordon, one earned by Casey Mears, and one earned by Kyle Busch.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s new record mark means that more than half of the season’s 36 races were won by the four-car Toyota team. Five other teams found victory lane on a combined 17 occasions throughout the season.

Team Penske led these other five teams with six trips to victory lane, including three by Brad Keselowski, two by Joey Logano and one by Ryan Blaney. Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, finished behind them with four.

All four of Stewart-Haas Racing’s trips were made by Kevin Harvick while three of Hendrick Motorsports’ were made by Chase Elliott and one was made by Alex Bowman when he secured the first victory of his career.

Chip Ganassi Racing found victory lane twice, once with Kurt Busch and once with Kyle Larson. Spire Motorsports pulled off arguably the biggest upset in Cup Series history with Justin Haley’s first career victory — also his first top 31 finish, the team’s first top 21 finish and the team’s first lead-lap finish — in his third start at Daytona International Speedway.

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Will Joe Gibbs Racing’s success continue at this level in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season? Will they lead the series in victories again regardless even if they take a step back considering they won 13 more races than second place Team Penske in 2019?

The 62nd annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to get the 2020 season underway on Sunday, February 16. This race is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

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