Kyle Busch Chases Dale Earnhardt’s Legacy as Fan’s Speculate if He Can Dethrone the Intimidator

No motorsport involves consistency as much as NASCAR perhaps. Not only does every lap need to be perfect but the results throughout the season must also be consistent to stand a chance to enter the Championship Four. While many drivers showcase dominance throughout periods in time, it’s those who manage to stay at the top throughout their careers that go down as legends. Dale Earnhardt’s consistency landed him 76 Cup Series wins from 1979 to 2000, but his astounding win statistic could come under threat from a man slowly cementing his name as an icon, Kyle Busch.

After the end of the 2023 season, Kyle Busch has 63 Cup Series wins, which places him only 13 wins behind The Intimidator in the list of the winningest Cup drivers. Although Busch is nearing the end of a hallmark career at the age of 38, his three wins in his first season with Richard Childress Racing means he could surpass Earnhardt Sr by 2028 at this rate. But one question still remains, will Busch still be able to perform at the level he did with JGR now that he’s in his second year at Richard Childress Racing?

Will the stars align for Busch and his chances of surpassing Dale Earnhardt in 2024?

Heading into the 2024 season, Kyle Busch has already cemented his name as one of the sport’s greatest drivers. The 38-year-old will enter the season opener with 677 Cup Series starts to his name, which means he is on track to surpass Jimmie Johnson (689), Jeff Burton (695), and Rusty Wallace (706) amongst others.

But while the majority of these race starts have been great for Kyle Busch, the years are slowly unmasking their consequences. Gone are the days when we could expect Busch to win 6-8 races a season. When we take a look back at 2010, this becomes even more evident. Busch would take home the record for most race wins in a single season in the modern era that year after winning 24 races. Clearly, momentum has dropped off since then, and fairly so.

But if Busch stands a chance of living up to the fans’ expectations of surpassing Dale Earnhardt’s wins, Busch will have to stand around a lot longer. While the 38-year-old stands the chance to add another milestone to his name by winning in his 20th consecutive season, the environment surrounding the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver might not be ideal for winning 13 races.

Richard Childress Racing is well aware of its shortcomings compared to the competition but repeating 2023’s three victories in and of itself will be crucial. At that rate, Busch will only be able to surpass Earnhardt in the early months of the 2028 season. But only a few years ago was Busch a two-time Cup champion without adequate sponsorships and a team hanging in the balance. Now that he’s showcased his ability to still win races with the right car, it will largely be in the hands of the mechanics to ensure Busch can continue that 19-year run of victories.

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While the climb ahead will not be as easy for Busch as it would have been a few years ago, the NASCAR community on Reddit engaged in a heated debate on his chances to surpass The Intimidator’s win statistic.

“My heart says yes, but my gut says no.” – NASCAR community gets into a heated debate on Kyle Busch’s Earnhardt challenge

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The crowd was immediately split between backing Kyle Busch for a historic achievement over the sport’s most iconic driver and fearing Richard Childress Racing’s performance would fail Busch in the long run. A Redditor chimed in to support Busch’s efforts, keeping expectations realistic – “I think he’ll catch him, but he won’t get much further than him. KFB is getting up there. If you factor in hot seasons and bad ones, it’s really a toss-up. Maybe by 1-2 wins further IF he gets tied to him”

On the other hand, many believed time was working against the 38-year-old. A user shared, “The fact that KFB is getting old makes me feel very old.” Another penned down a rather detailed analysis of Busch’s future prospects – “My heart says yes, but my gut says no. I think the seasons of 5-7 win KFB are in the past. He’s 38 (somehow) and on a good-not-great RCR team. If RCR takes a big step up? Sure, he can push for it.”

Kyle Busch is 13 wins from Dale in Cup wins, will he catch him?
byu/bjohnson203 inNASCAR

While the user felt Busch could give it his all, the realistic result would more likely be Busch topping out at the 70-win mark. One user outright shut down the debate, “He just needs to win the Daytona 500 that’s all he needs to do I don’t see why he needs to catch Dale Senior.” But ultimately, Busch’s future does lie in the hands of Richard Childress Racing. A user added, “RCR needs to find more consistent speed to be a yes. Being hot and cold he could nab 1 or 2 a year, and he’s not driving for 10 more years. My vote right now would be no.”

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It’s safe to say the community was in full form to debate Busch’s ultimate future and whether he could surpass Earnhardt. While many believe the future could swing either way, what is your take on Kyle Busch’s prospects to outclass one of the sport’s greatest?