Kyle Busch Remembered: Chicagoland wins that defined Rowdy

As NASCAR returns to Chicagoland for the first time in seven years, we continue our ‘Kyle Busch Remembered’ series with a look back at his many victories at the intermediate track. Busch won eleven races across all three national divisions at Chicagoland Speedway, and was victorious in the track’s most iconic finish.

Busch, the NASCAR record-older for most career wins with 234 victories between Cup, O’Reilly, and Truck, died unexpectedly in May at the age of 41 … just days after his final victory.

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We have decided to remember Kyle with this weekly series, highlighting his most impressive, memorable, or even infamous moments at whatever track is up next on the NASCAR Cup schedule.

We’ve already covered Sonoma, Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono, which you can find by clicking the names of each track as mentioned. Now, for Rowdy’s greatest moments at Chicagoland Speedway…

Epic full-contact showdown with Kyle Larson (2018)

Watch: Rewind the clock: Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson trade paint in 2018 Chicagoland finish

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Who can forget this race? Busch was leading the way with Larson in pursuit. Running all over the track as they sliced through lapped traffic, Larson lunged to the inside of Busch on the white flag lap. He tried to execute a slide job, but could not clear Busch. While he lifted, Larson still made contact with Busch’s left-rear, putting him into the wall at the exit of Turn 2, and that allowed Larson to surge ahead. Busch was seeing red now, driving so deep into the final corner that he was almost on the apron, slamming into the back of Larson. Busch continued up the track, slamming the wall as Larson spun sideways. He never got out of the throttle, taking the checkered flag in the most spectacular finish we’ve ever seen at Chicagoland. Busch’s post-race antics were just as memorable, as he did a mock crying face in response to booing fans. He then said the now-famous words: “If you don’t like that kind of racing, don’t even watch.”

Passing Jimmie Johnson for first Chicagoland Cup win (2008)

2018 was Busch’s second Cup win at Chicagoland. His first came a decade earlier, facing Jimmie Johnson in the middle of the Hall of Famer’s five-year reign of the sport. On a two-to-go restart, Busch pulled to the outside of Johnson. The two drivers battled side-by-side, with Busch clearing him just as they took the white flag. He spent the final lap aggressively defending, with Johnson nearly getting into the back of Busch as they raced through the final corner. But it was Busch capturing the checkered flag, just a couple of car lengths ahead of Johnson.

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Chicagoland Truck dominance: Five wins in six starts (2009-2016)

Kyle Busch wins Truck race, 2013

When Busch started a NASCAR Truck race at Chicagoland, he almost always won. In six Truck races at Chicagoland, he won a remarkable five times between 2009 and 2016. In the one race he lost, he finished fifth. Busch’s run began with the first Truck race ever held at the track, leading half the race. It was a similar story in the events that followed, controlling the race from start to finish, even with some surprisingly close margins of victory.

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Battling teammates for NASCAR O’Reilly Series wins (2010, 2015)

Kyle Busch passes Matt Kenseth for the win, 2015

Busch won the NASCAR O’Reilly race at Chicagoland four times in his career.  The first came in 2008, leading over half the race in your classic episode of the ‘Kyle Busch Show’ that fans loved to hate. 2013 was even more dominant, leading an astonishing 195 of 200 laps. But 2010 and 2015 were both notable for just how hard he had to fight a teammate to win those races. In 2010, he was second to JGR teammate Joey Logano for a green-white-checkered finish. There was nearly contact as they battled door-to-door, with Busch finally clearing him at the white flag, and not a moment too soon.

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Behind them, a wreck broke out, ending the race with Busch out front. Five years later, JGR teammate Matt Kenseth was running him down as they navigated slower traffic. With two laps to go, Kenseth made a wild move to the inside, passing both a lapped car and Busch as he slid up the track. Busch saw the slide job and lifted, allowing him to cut back under Kenseth as they took the white flag, reclaiming the lead and taking victory.

Kyle Busch Chicagoland NASCAR Stats

NASCAR CUP: 15 starts / 2 wins / 1 pole / 5 top fives / 8 top tens / 573 laps led

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NASCAR O’REILLY: 13 starts / 4 wins / 3 poles / 8 top fives / 8 top tens / 1,039 laps led

NASCAR TRUCKS:  6 starts / 5 wins / 0 poles / 6 top fives / 6 top tens / 423 laps led

Read Also:

Kyle Busch Remembered: From winning Pocono with one gear to KBM’s 100th

Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy’s best drives at Sonoma Raceway

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