“I think daily, you kind of work through those things and those thoughts.” Kyle Busch slipped these words about considering retirement in late March this year. Indeed, such ideas are bound to pop into the head of such a NASCAR veteran. Over a span of two decades, Busch has clinched 232 NASCAR national series victories, including 63 Cup race trophies. He is also a two-time Cup Series champion. So, what can be a better time to think about a grand exit than now for the soon-to-be 40-year-old?
However, Kyle Busch is inspired by Denny Hamlin. The latter borrowed NASCAR’s black hat from Busch. In his tussles with popular racers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, Hamlin attained the villain status that still stands. Similarly, Busch wants to borrow ideas about Hamlin’s retirement plans, which, as we all know, look bleak at best.
Kyle Busch sees a golden path ahead
Well, where do you think the golden path leads to? It should lead to retirement, but what matters is the milestones that make it golden. Looking at Denny Hamlin at present, you would understand. The 44-year-old is the eldest active driver in the Cup Series. With the departure of his two-decade-old sponsor, FedEx, and long-time crew chief Chris Gabehart, fans doubted Hamlin’s presence in the off-season. However, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver dropped a banger in 2025 with consecutive wins in Martinsville and Darlington. This shows the extent to which Hamlin is willing to go to prove that he still has the winning juices flowing in him. Kyle Busch, currently facing a dismal 64-race winless streak, may be in the doldrums. But he is banking on Hamlin’s hopes.
In a recent interview with TODAY, the Richard Childress Racing driver clarified his stance. M&M’s leaving the sport, exiting JGR, running into a winless swamp in RCR, or piling pressure from fans – nothing can convince Kyle Busch to hang up his firesuit at present. He said while saluting Denny Hamlin’s pursuits, “I’ve heard plenty of the talk, absolutely. I’m turning 40, Denny Hamlin’s out there, he’s turning 44 or 45 – and he’s winning races. So 37 to about 43, you’re in your prime in NASCAR, actually. So I am still right there, I still got plenty in the tank, I’m still ready to go.”
Kyle Busch clinched his fourth top-ten finish in Darlington after Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix. He hopes to head back to the front row soon. Earlier, Busch was known as ‘Rowdy’ because of his on-track conflicts. Just consider his 2017 fistfight with Joey Logano or tussles with Kevin Harvick. Although his aggressive nature is long gone, Busch insisted that his champion instincts are still intact. He continued optimistically, “We’re working with RCR this year about getting our Chevrolets back up front. And we’ll race Talladega this weekend, a great place for us to go win. We won there a couple of years ago, and looking forward to doing that again this weekend.”
As Kyle Busch is not willing to give up without a fight, his fans look up to him eagerly. While Busch tries to wring the most out of his prime, one of his family members reflects on his own.
Heading into the prestigious circle
Well, Kyle Busch would definitely be a first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer. But since the RCR driver is not considering retirement yet, that is a future discussion. At this time, Busch’s elder brother is in talks. Kurt Busch won 34 races and one title in Cup in a career that spanned from 2000-22. Most notably, he won the Cup Series championship during the inaugural Chase format in 2004. Busch has a fantastic record at renowned races – he won the 2010 Coca-Cola 600, 2017 Daytona 500, and six trophies at Bristol. Busch’s final triumph came at Kansas Speedway, months before he got a life-altering concussion during a Pocono Raceway qualifying event. That ultimately derailed his NASCAR career; however, the sport is now preparing to salute him for his dedication.
Kurt Busch is among the 15 nominees for the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class. He is also among the 10 Modern Era nominees, some of whose careers began 60 years ago. But the only other first-time nominee other than Busch was two-time Xfinity champion Randy LaJoie. Busch expressed his gratitude upon learning of this announcement on Monday. “I am very grateful to be nominated for NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. It’s an honor to be recognized at this top level. Thank you to NASCAR, my race teams, my family, and to the race fans.” The Modern Era Ballot and Landmark Award nominees were selected by the Nomination Committee. It consists of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities, and historic short tracks.
Kyle Busch may not be considering retirement at present. But given his brother’s honor, discussions may seep into the family dining room at present. However, we cannot wait to watch Rowdy fetch his much-anticipated redemption victory.
The post After Passing the Torch, Kyle Busch Takes a Page Out of Denny Hamlin’s Book Revealing NASCAR Retirement Plans appeared first on EssentiallySports.