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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