NASCAR: Looks like Kyle Busch won’t be retiring in 2020

Kyle Busch has made clear that he will retire from NASCAR Xfinity Series competition once he reaches 100 wins. That won’t happen in 2020.

On multiple occasions, Kyle Busch has stated that he will be retiring from NASCAR Xfinity Series competition once he takes the checkered flag for the 100th time at the sport’s second highest level of competition.

The 35-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native entered the season as the all-time winningest driver (by far) with 96 career victories to his name.

Because NASCAR continues to enforce stricter limitations on Cup Series drivers with five or more seasons of full-time Cup Series experience competing in the lower series, Busch was only allowed to compete in five Xfinity Series races this year, down from seven over the last few seasons.

Busch joked that these restrictions are in place because “NASCAR and the fans love him so much” when discussing last November that he still plans to retire once he wins 100 races but would only have five chances to add to his win total in 2020.

Here is what he had to say about the matter at the time, according to Jayski.

"“Yeah, I’ve said it over and over again. I would be there by now and I would have been out of it by now but apparently NASCAR and the fans love me there so much they keep make limitations on keeping me there. I’ve also said that I’ll get to 100 and then I don’t need to be there. That’s just kind of a number I would like to get to.”"

Busch entered the 2020 season set to compete in the races at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 7, Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 23, Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, June 20, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 18 and Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 15.

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He competed at Phoenix Raceway and finished in third place behind teammates Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton, meaning he had to win each of the remaining four races to hit 100 wins this year.

The Chicagoland Speedway race ended up being replaced on the schedule by yesterday’s race at Darlington Raceway because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Busch opted to compete in that race. He ended up finishing just behind Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in second place after a fantastic battle to the finish. He had been dominating the race before a pit road speeding penalty sent him to the back of the pack, and his rally came up just one position shy of win number 97.

With 96 career wins and just three starts remaining for him in the 2020 season, it doesn’t look like this season will be Kyle Busch’s last in the Xfinity Series.