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Motorsport.com continues its “Kyle Busch Remembered” series by looking back at the most iconic moments of the late NASCAR driver at Martinsville Speedway. Busch achieved four victories out of his record 234 career NASCAR national-series wins at the historic short track before his passing at the age of 41 in May.
Kyle Busch Martinsville NASCAR Stats
Across various NASCAR divisions, Busch built an impressive statistical resume at the Virginia venue. In the NASCAR Cup Series, he recorded 42 starts, two wins, two poles, 17 top-fives, 21 top-tens, and led 1,429 laps. In the Truck series, he made 12 starts, securing two wins, one pole, eight top-fives, nine top-tens, and 627 laps led. He also made one start in the O’Reilly division.
2016 weekend sweep after Martinsville drought
Before the spring weekend in 2016, Busch had never won a grandfather clock trophy at Martinsville, but he shattered that drought with a complete weekend sweep. Making his 30th overall start at the track, he captured the Saturday Truck race victory after leading 123 of 255 laps. In Sunday’s Cup race, he delivered an even more commanding performance, leading 352 of 500 laps, including the final 173 uninterrupted circuits.
The most memorable highlight of the weekend occurred after the race ended while navigating traffic leaving the speedway. Busch spotted super fan Darienne Breazeale, pulled his vehicle alongside hers to call out to her, and signed a hat for her in a viral moment that is still shared online today. He later invited the thrilled supporter back to another race as his guest.
2017 last-lap pass for the Cup win
Busch secured his second and final Cup victory at Martinsville in the fall of 2017 following a chaotic and dramatic finish. Coming to the white flag on the final restart, he found himself positioned behind teammate Denny Hamlin. Busch delivered a bump to Hamlin in Turn 4 and then pushed him up the track in Turn 1 to capture the lead. He then fought side-by-side with Martin Truex Jr. through the final corners, taking the checkered flag while Hamlin and several other competitors crashed behind them.
Clashing with other champions
Short tracks frequently breed intense emotions, and Busch was never shy about showing his feelings on the track. Fellow Cup champions often experienced his wrath at Martinsville, notably Jimmie Johnson in 2010, Kevin Harvick in 2020, and long-time rival Brad Keselowski in 2021.
While chasing his fifth straight Cup title in 2010, Johnson angered Busch after being bumped multiple times. Busch communicated over his radio on how Johnson could avoid further contact, prompting Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus to suggest yielding the position. Johnson instead flipped Busch off, sparking a furious radio outburst from Busch threatening to wreck the No. 48 car if it happened again.
During the 2020 event, Harvick faced playoff elimination and desperately needed to gain a position, which happened to be directly behind Busch. When Harvick attempted a final-lap spin maneuver, Busch executed a full 360-degree spin and continued driving without giving up a single position. Harvick’s attempt backfired entirely as he crashed into the inside wall and plummeted down the order.
In 2021, an on-track altercation between Busch and Keselowski resulted in Keselowski spinning Busch out on the cool-down lap. Busch openly contemplated physical confrontation afterward, though the frequent rivals ultimately avoided a physical fight.
The series continues to honor Busch’s legacy by revisiting his remarkable career milestones across every track on the NASCAR Cup schedule.
