NASCAR: Kyle Busch wants to break a major Cup Series record

Kyle Busch’s focus is on the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race weekend, but he isn’t downplaying a major record he has a legitimate shot to break in the near future.

It took him until late October — one year ago today, actually — in a race that was delayed by three days due to rain at Texas Motor Speedway, but Kyle Busch was able to make the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season his 16th straight season with at least one victory.

This win, which came in the 36-race season’s 34th race, moved him into a third place tie on the all-time list in terms of consecutive winning seasons. He tied Ricky Rudd (1983 to 1998), Rusty Wallace (1986 to 2001) and Jimmie Johnson (2002 to 2017).

Anything less than a win would have kept his streak at 15, in which case it would have remained tied with three drivers for sixth place: Darrell Waltrip (1975 to 1989), Dale Earnhardt (1982 to 1996) and Tony Stewart (1999 to 2013).

This year, there was hardly any stress, as he got the job done a lot earlier in the season at Kansas Speedway back in early May.

With 17 straight winning seasons, Busch now sits in a second place tie with only David Pearson (1964 to 1980), and he trails the all-time record holder, the great Richard Petty, by just one season.

Naturally, Busch is aiming to break this record, and while some may downplay the significance of it if they were in the 36-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native’s position, Busch is not doing so and admits he did not do so back when he took the checkered flag at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Kansas City, Kansas back on Sunday, May 2.

“I mean, it was definitely meaningful and a huge accomplishment,” Busch admitted to Beyond the Flag. “Hopefully we’ll be able to go on to 18, 19, 20 years, whatever it is.”

Whether a streak is at two years or 20, Busch naturally always wants to win. But he did not let that determination get in the way of appreciating what this particular winning season could mean moving forward.

“There’s not many things that you’ll be able to beat The King at, that’s for darn sure,” he continued. “Hopefully, we can continue that tradition and make sure that we get to 18, get to 19, and so on.”

Petty won at least one race — actually, at least two — for 18 straight seasons from 1960 to 1977, and he broke the record with consecutive winning season number 14 in 1973.

His father Lee had held the record, winning for 13 straight seasons from 1949 to 1961. A 13-year winning streak now ranks in an 11th place tie on the all-time list.

But before he will have a chance to tie Petty’s record in 2022 and then to potentially break it in 2023, Busch is focused on advancing from the round of 8 to the Championship 4, something he failed to do last year after having done so for five consecutive seasons before that.

He is set to enter this Sunday’s round of 8 finale, the Xfinity 500, at Martinsville Speedway just one point above the Championship 4 cut line after a frustrating race at Kansas Speedway this past Sunday.

But it isn’t all about racing for the driver of the #18 Toyota this Halloween.

This year, primary sponsor M&M’s is bringing Halloween celebrations to communities around the country, partnering with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte. Busch and some of his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team have spent time packing race-themed packages for the Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte earlier this week.

Of course, they included some M&M’s candy for the Halloween celebration.

NBC is set to broadcast the Xfinity 500 live from Martinsville Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Halloween (Sunday, October 31), so be sure to start your free trial of FuboTV today!

Busch is listed by WynnBET at +700 (bet $100 to win $700) to win this race. Make your pick now on WynnBET.

WynnBET Promo: Bet $1, Win $100 if any NFL or college football team scores. Claim offer now.