​We’re continuing our weekly “Kyle Busch Remembered” series with a retrospective on his many standout runs at Atlanta, and honestly, there are more to pick from than we can easily count. Busch racked up 14 NASCAR victories at the track, and his career there featured plenty of moments that stretched beyond the window of a single win. For instance, his 2021 showdown with brother Kurt didn’t even make the list, and his dramatic 2009 Truck Series charge after losing third gear remains another unforgettable chapter. Busch’s NASCAR career eventually tallied 234 victories across Cup, Xfinity (O’Reilly), and Truck competition, and his passing came unexpectedly only days after his final win, at the age of 41.
Since that time, we’ve made it a habit to highlight his most impressive, memorable, or even infamous moments at whatever venue sits next on the Cup schedule. We’ve already looked back at Sonoma, Nashville, Michigan, Pocono, and Chicagoland—links to each stop are available by tapping the track names above. Now, here’s a retrospective of Rowdy’s greatest Atlanta moments.
When Kyle Busch joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, it took just four races for him to reach Victory Lane. That victory was particularly meaningful, not only because it marked Busch’s first win with his new team, but also because it signified the first Cup win ever for Toyota as a manufacturer. It also sparked the enduring relationship with Gibbs, a partnership that would see Busch claim 56 of his 63 Cup wins with the organization, along with both of his championships.
We even include a moment that isn’t a win, but remains iconic in the annals of Atlanta racing history. Early in the 2024 season, Busch found himself in one of NASCAR’s most memorable finishes. Competing against Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suárez for the Cup win at Atlanta, he executed a daring move on the final lap, splitting Blaney and Suárez like a wedge. Busch pulled air off the right rear of Blaney entering Turn 3, while Suárez did the same to Busch from the third lane. The three-way showdown produced a deadlock exiting the final corner, a pure drag race with no one pushing from behind. In the end, Suárez was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin—0.003 seconds ahead of Blaney and 0.007 seconds ahead of Busch—the closest top-three finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Busch’s success extended across all levels of NASCAR, but the bulk of his wins in the O’Reilly (Xfinity) Series—102 of his 234 victories—came there. He dominated nearly 30% of his Xfinity starts, and three of those wins came at Atlanta. In 2021, he led 97 of 164 laps from pole to win in Atlanta, delivering another quintessential episode of the “Kyle Busch Show.” He also held off Jeb Burton in an overtime restart to seal the victory—a finish that underscored his relentless drive and knack for closing out big moments at this historic track.