Denny Hamlin added another milestone to his NASCAR Cup Series career with a victory at Nashville Superspeedway, but the moment carried far more weight than a typical win. Hamlin secured his 62nd NASCAR Cup Series win in the Cracker Barrel 400, moving within one victory of matching the late Kyle Busch’s career total of 63.
The result came just 10 days after Busch’s death at age 41 from complications related to bacterial pneumonia and sepsis. Driving the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Hamlin overcame an early penalty and fought off teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe during a late restart to reach Victory Lane.
The NASCAR Cup Series veteran later paid tribute to Busch with a celebration that reflected the close bond the two drivers shared during their years together.
Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Cup Series Victory Moves Him Closer to Kyle Busch
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville tested Hamlin from the start. He received a penalty for a jump start but recovered quickly and remained one of the fastest drivers on the track throughout the event.
A late four-lap sprint to the finish created a tense battle, but Hamlin held off Bell and Briscoe to claim his 62nd NASCAR Cup Series victory. The win pushed him to 10th on the all-time wins list and brought him within one victory of Kyle Busch’s total of 63.
After the race, Hamlin acknowledged that catching Busch had once seemed unlikely.
“I thought about it and certainly aspired to eventually get there. I knew my career was going to end before his career was going to end, and we didn’t know what was going to happen, but I had kind of resigned to the fact that I thought we weren’t going to overtake Kyle, and we still might not.”
Kyle Busch Legacy Continues to Shape Denny Hamlin’s Career
Before Busch’s passing, the discussion around their long-running NASCAR Cup Series rivalry had already begun to change. Busch finished his career without a win in his final 105 Cup starts, while Hamlin continued to add victories at a steady pace.
Since 2020, Hamlin has collected 25 NASCAR Cup Series wins compared to Busch’s seven. Even so, Hamlin made it clear that his success was closely connected to the influence of his former teammate.
The two spent 15 years together at Joe Gibbs Racing, where they pushed each other to improve.
“It was an honor to be his teammate for 15 years. He raised my game. Without him as a teammate, there’s no way I win the races I win, especially the ones like today.”
Hamlin’s post-race bow, one of Busch’s signature celebrations, served as another reminder of the respect between the two drivers.
NASCAR Cup Series Schedule Offers Denny Hamlin More History
The NASCAR Cup Series schedule now presents Hamlin with an opportunity to equal Busch’s win total very soon.
Hamlin enters the next race at Michigan International Speedway as the defending winner. The veteran has regularly produced top-10 finishes at the two-mile track, making him one of the favorites heading into the event.
Following Michigan, the series travels to Pocono Raceway, where Hamlin owns a record seven victories.
Despite the recent success, Hamlin remains focused on the uncertainty that comes with racing.
“We don’t know if this is the last one. We don’t know.”
As the NASCAR Cup Series continues to honor Busch’s memory, Hamlin’s pursuit of another victory has become more than a chase for statistics. His latest NASCAR Cup Series win highlighted the connection between two teammates whose careers became closely linked. With more opportunities ahead, Hamlin now stands just one win away from matching a record once held by a friend who helped shape his career.
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