Kyle Busch is one of those generational drivers who inspire not only young but fellow racers also. One of those admirers is Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has never hidden his respect for Busch. In 2017, he had described Busch as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. “Love him or hate him, I feel he is the most all-around talented driver I will ever witness in my lifetime,” he had said.
At the time, Larson was still carving his place in NASCAR, and Busch’s dominance was something to admire. Notably, his achievements speak for themselves. The two-time cup series champion holds the record for the most combined wins across all three national series. With 63 Cup wins, 102 Xfinity wins and 66 Truck Series wins, he has rewritten the record books. His aggressive driving, raw talent, and relentless pursuit of victory set him apart from the rest.
While in recent years Busch’s performance has seen a steep decline, he remains one of the best on track. On the other hand, Larson is now also in a league of his own. The 2021 NASCAR Cup series champion has been phenomenal in the last few years. He won a record six races in 2024 and had the best stats among all in the series. Unfortunately, the Hendrick Motorsports driver failed to win the title. Now, as NASCAR continues with the 2025 season, Larson aims to join Busch in an elite list of drivers with special achievements in the sport.
Kyle Larson eyes at history!
When Kyle Larson praised Kyle Busch in 2017, it was after witnessing one of the most dominant performances in NASCAR history. The Rowdy had just completed his second career triple-header sweep at Bristol. He won the Truck Series race on Wednesday, the Xfinity Series race on Friday, and then capped it off with a Cup Series victory on Saturday. It was a feat so rare that no one else in NASCAR had ever done it once—let alone twice.
Now, Larson wants to follow in Busch’s footsteps. As NASCAR heads to Homestead-Miami for the next round of NASCAR races, Larson will attempt the impossible—winning all three national series races in the same weekend. This comes after Rick Hendrick allowed his drivers to participate in other series as NASCAR had allowed Cup drivers to have five starts in lower series. Notably, Larson’s weekend begins with the Truck Series race, where he has already qualified third in his No. 07 Spire Motorsports truck.
On Saturday, He will drive a Hendrick Motorsports car in the Xfinity race before returning to his No. 5 Chevrolet for the Cup Series event. The challenge is daunting, but for a driver as skilled as Larson, it’s within reach. Notably, Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of Larson’s best tracks. He has led a record 626 laps there in the Cup Series, more than any other driver. But despite his dominance, he has just one Cup win and one Xfinity win at the track. He has often had the fastest car, only to see victory slip away due to mistakes, pit road issues, or bad timing.
Kyle Larson’s quest to match the Kyle Busch three-race weekend sweep begins tonight with the Homestead truck race. Busch is the only person to have ever done that (twice, both at Bristol).
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 21, 2025
Last year, he had a chance to win but spun while trying to pass Ryan Blaney in the closing laps. Larson admits those painful losses stick with him more than his victories. “Every time I go there, you leave disappointed. I feel like we had the best car, the best chance of winning, and we don’t have the wins to show for it,” Larson said. This weekend, he hopes to change that narrative by sweeping all three races.
If he succeeds in his run, he will join Kyle Busch who did it twice at Bristol. However, his path to history wasn’t easy. In 2010, he relatively had an easy run but in 2017 he had to fight hard, especially against Erik Jones. After the win he had said, “Man, Erik Jones put up a whale of a fight. That’s all I had. I was running with my tongue hanging out. My arms were Jello and my throat hurts, but man that’s awesome.”
However, this isn’t the only historic attempt Larson eyes this year. After a failed ‘Double’ attempt in 2024, he is eying for another one later this year and a success in Miami would only fuel his fire. Notably, last year bad weather at Indianapolis ruined his plans. A rain delay forced him to stay at Indy longer than expected, making it impossible for him to make it to Charlotte in time for the Coca-Cola 600. While Larson is pushing himself to new limits, Kyle Busch himself has taken notice.
Kyle Busch names best NASCAR drivers!
Kyle Busch has always been a straight shooter when it comes to evaluating talent. When asked about the best drivers in NASCAR today, he had no hesitation in naming Kyle Larson and William Byron as the “cream of the crop.” In an interview with FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick, Busch explained why Larson stands out. He also reflected on how Larson and his son Brexton have kept them aligned off the track.
“The cream of the crop is Kyle or William with this (Next Gen) car. I would say those two are the guys that are most competitive every week. We try to rely on them a lot… Kyle and I’re close off the racetrack. Our kids race with one another. I bounce some ideas off of him. That’s how I look at it right now, but there’s no clear-cut definitive driving style I would say,” Busch told Harvick.
Busch’s praise is significant. He has raced against some of the best drivers of all time, and his respect for Larson shows just how talented the Hendrick Motorsports driver is. He has already proven himself as one of the most talented drivers of his generation. Now, he has his sights set on matching one of Kyle Busch’s greatest achievements. With Rick Hendrick’s support, Larson is ready to chase history. The road won’t be easy, but if there’s one thing Larson has shown throughout his career, it’s that he never backs down from a challenge.
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