Motorsport.com concludes its “Kyle Busch Remembered” series by looking back on KB’s 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championships at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Along with two Cup titles, seven of Busch’s record 234 career NASCAR national-series wins came at Homestead, following his sudden passing this past May at 41 years old just days after his final victory in a Truck race at Dover.
2015 — An unlikely title comeback after leg injury
KB missed the first 11 races of the 2015 NASCAR Cup season while recovering from a broken leg suffered in a NASCAR O’Reilly crash at Daytona in February. After winning four races in five weeks during the summer, he advanced through each playoff round to reach the Homestead finale against Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Martin Truex Jr. Busch overtook Brad Keselowski on the final restart with seven laps remaining and secured the victory by 1.5 seconds over Harvick.
Reflecting on his late-race move, Busch stated that he simply went all-out and held it wide open past Keselowski. Regarding his recovery from the injury, Busch explained that he discovered a high level of physical and mental resilience through intense rehab, noting the support of his wife and dog while preparing for his son’s birth.
2019 — Besting JGR teammates and winning for J.D.
Busch became the first driver to secure two titles under the multi-round elimination playoff format during the 2019 season. Competing in the Championship 4 alongside Harvick and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, Busch capitalized on pit road trouble for his rivals to win the race and title by 4.5 seconds after leading nearly half the event.
Expressing gratitude to his supporters, Busch mentioned that working with his team is enjoyable and dedicated the victory to Rowdy Nation despite outside doubters. The triumph also carried emotional significance following the death of J.D. Gibbs, son of Joe Gibbs, at age 49 just before the 2019 season began. Busch noted the difficult period for the family and expressed hope that the championship provided some comfort, stating that J.D. was watching over them throughout the season.
