Getty Kyle Busch makes his 600th Cup Series start.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race serves as a homecoming for the Busch brothers, with the younger driver reaching a major career milestone. Kyle Busch will make his 600th Cup Series start.
According to Fox Sports, Busch is the second-youngest driver to reach 600 Cup Series starts. He will be 36 years old when he suits up at his hometown track. “The King” Richard Petty hit this mark at the age of 35 during the 1973 season, winning at Richmond. Per NASCAR Media, he became the first and only driver thus far to win his 600th start.
The driver of the No. 18 first made his Cup Series debut in 2004, running six races for Hendrick Motorsports. He made the full-time leap to the top level of stock car racing the next year and kicked off an impressive run in which he has won 59 races, locked up two Cup Series championships, and posted 225 top-fives. Now he will fight for another strong performance at his hometown track.
The Cup Series playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will take place on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Network will provide coverage as Busch tries to win his 600th start and join Petty in the history books.
Busch Will Become the 31st Driver To Reach 600 Cup Starts
GettyKyle Busch joins Dale Earnhardt Jr. on 600 starts list.
The two-time Cup Series champion joins an esteemed list when he makes his 600th start. He will become the 31st driver to reach the mark, a group that includes several Hall of Fame drivers. James Hylton is 30th on the list at 602 starts while Tony Stewart is 29th with 618.
The list continues with such notable names as Dale Earnhardt Jr. (631), Dale Jarrett (668), Dale Earnhardt (676), and Jimmie Johnson (686). Petty tops the list with a NASCAR record of 1,184 starts. He is also the only driver to reach 200 wins in a career.
Busch will have an opportunity to pass Hylton before the end of the 2021 season, but he will have to wait until 2022 to track down Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. As long as he continues to suit up in the Cup Series, he will have even more opportunities to chase down many of the drivers on the list.
Las Vegas Marks Major Milestones for Both Busch Brothers
GettyKurt Busch congratulates Kyle Busch after a win at Nashville Superspeedway.
While Busch will make his 600th start in pursuit of his 60th win, his older brother will hit a career milestone of his own. Kurt will suit up for the 750th time in the Cup Series, continuing a full-time career that began in 2001.
Kurt has not won nearly as many races as his brother, but he has continued to produce for every single team that has hired him. He has reached Victory Lane 33 times and posted 154 top-five finishes. Kurt has also ended the season as a champion, locking up the title during the 2004 season.
Like his brother, Kurt will not have the opportunity to move up the all-time starts during the 2021 season. Instead, he will have to wait until he joins 23XI Racing for the 2022 campaign. Kurt will be able to track down Ken Schrader, who holds the 11th spot on the all-time starts list with 763. He should also pass Michael Waltrip, who sits 10th overall with 784 starts in his Cup Series career.
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