In motorsports, individual performance usually dips once a driver enters their 40s, with reflexes not as sharp and endurance levels decreasing. Exceptions like Denny Hamlin, along with others in different disciplines around the world, are altering that narrative. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is, in fact, closing in on a new milestone that could leave Kyle Busch loyalists feeling a bit jittery.
Hamlin reached Victory Lane at Las Vegas on Sunday, securing the 61st Cup Series win of his career. His sustained pace highlights how quickly he has caught up with another veteran, Busch, over the past few years. In the summer of 2019, he had 33 wins, 22 behind Busch, who had 55 at the time. Now, seven years later, he is just two wins away from equaling Busch’s current total of 63. This shows a clear contrast in how the two have fared in recent seasons.
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Fans believe that the biggest reason why Hamlinhas been able to close the gap this quickly is the team he drives for. One fan, on X, shed light on the fact that Hamlin stayed with a strong team in Joe Gibbs Racing, whereas Busch went to Richard Childress Racing in 2023, where he won three races in his maiden season, but has remained winless ever since.
“One stayed with a real cup contender, and Kyle Busch went to RCR,” they wrote.
Another fan wrote, “Great point that in equal equipment, Denny couldn’t hold Kyle’s jock strap.” That statement won’t land well with Hamlin’s fans. “Imagine if Kyle wasn’t driving RCR sh tboxes ,” *a comment said.
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Before RCR, Busch was a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing as well. Perhaps his luck would have fared better if he had stayed with them. One more comment launched a scathing attack on RCR, “Busch races for a dog sh t team.” *
So, by the judgment of most, RCRis to be blamed for Hamlin’s dominance over Busch.
While we’re at it, there is another stat that highlights how the No. 11 driver has outperformed his former teammate. By winning at Vegas, he joined Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Richard Petty, and Mark Martin as the only drivers to win five or more races after reaching 700 career starts. Busch, meanwhile, has made 56 starts since hitting that same mark and has not won a single race.
All signs point to the possibility that Hamlin will soon overtake Busch on the all-time wins list. The only way for the RCR driver to slow that outcome is by reaching Victory Lane as early as this Sunday at Darlington. That seems extremely unlikely given the car he is driving.
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The post NASCAR Fans Vehemently Defend Kyle Busch After Denny Hamlin Is Perfectly Set Up to Overtake Cup Tally appeared first on The SportsRush.
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