Comparison: Kyle Busch vs. Buck Baker at 46 wins

Kyle Busch’s victory at Richmond Raceway was his third in a row and the 46th of his career in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker for 15th place all time.

It’s the second Hall of Famer on the all-time wins list that Busch has equaled in wins this year. His first win of the year, at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month, tied the Joe Gibbs Racing driver with Bill Elliott, who he has since put in the rearview.

Baker’s 46th win came in a crown jewel race — the Southern 500. It was the 1964 running of the event, with Baker passing Jimmy Pardue to lead the last 63 laps for his final career win.

Let’s take a look at how Busch’s career stats match up to Baker’s at the time of both drivers’ 46th win.

Key Stats Buck Baker Kyle Busch
Starts 503 471
Wins 46 46
Top fives 246 168
Top 10s 372 249
Laps led 5,795 14,879
Laps completed 109,468 131,913
Busch Pole Awards 45 29
Age 45 32

With his current hot streak, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver may catch a few more people on the all-time wins list this year. Herb Thomas is next in his sights with 48 wins. Tony Stewart (49 wins) is after that, with the 50-win plateau looming in the distance as well.

Here’s a look at the all-time top-20 winners in Monster Energy Series history, with an asterisk denoting an active driver.

Rank Driver Wins
1. Richard Petty 200
2. David Pearson 105
3. Jeff Gordon 93
t-4. Bobby Allison 84
t-4. Darrell Waltrip 84
t-6. Jimmie Johnson* 83
t-6. Cale Yarborough 83
8. Dale Earnhardt 76
9. Rusty Wallace 55
10. Lee Petty 54
t-11. Junior Johnson 50
t-11. Ned Jarrett 50
13. Tony Stewart 49
14. Herb Thomas 48
t-15. Buck Baker 46
t-15. Kyle Busch* 46
17. Bill Elliott 44
t-18. Kevin Harvick* 40
t-18. Mark Martin 40
20. Tim Flock 39

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