KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Of Kurt Busch's 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins, his most recent, taking the checkered flag at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, will always stand out.
"To have the 45 as a winner now in the Cup Series, it's emotional," Busch said in a one-on-one interview with KSHB 41 Sports. "Because it's family, and we built this from the ground up."
Busch moved over to Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin's 23XI team last season. This was not only his first win with the new squad but also his first win at Kansas Speedway in 32 starts.
"At the end, I didn't want to have to an excuse to MJ on why we didn't win," Busch said.
There were a couple of ways a Busch could have found his way to Victory Lane. Kurt's brother, Kyle Busch, finished third at the AdventHealth 400.
"It's so weird, all the wins I've had recently. I've got to beat Kyle," he said. "Our racing pattern, or how we drive the cars, the tires, it's like if I'm having a really good day, there's the 18 (car). I've got to beat him."
But it was another Kyle that Kurt had to ultimately hold off, the #5 car of Kyle Larson, making the win even more satisfying for Busch.
"The one that gave me the most motivation to make sure I got the job done was Larson," Busch said. "He kind of did us wrong at Talledega, but that's just racing. And this one I was like, 'Alright, buddy, let's go.' He's my new 'frienemy.'"
