Kurt Busch to Compete in 700th Cup Series Race at Indy

NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) veteran competitor Kurt Busch will make his 700th start in the NCS on Sunday July 5, 2020. When the green flag drops on the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Busch will become just the 16th driver in NASCAR history to reach the 700-start milestone.

Joining the series full-time in 2001, the Las Vegas native burst onto the scene with an energetic personality and aggressive driving style that would rank him among the sport’s best, claiming the Series Championship in 2004. Busch has a long list of career accomplishments and continues to be a competitive talent into what his now his 21st year of competition in NASCAR’s top division.

Busch’s versatile driving talent has helped him to score poles and race victories on every type of track on which the NCS competes (superspeedway, intermediate, short-track and road course). He has also won at least one race in 16 of his 21 years of NCS competition, including at least one win in the last six consecutive seasons.

NOTABLE WINS:

– First career win at Bristol Motor Speedway (2002)
o Has a total of six NCS wins at Bristol Motor Speedway
– NASCAR All-Star Race (2010)
– Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (2010)
– First road course win at Sonoma Raceway (2011)
– Daytona 500 (2017)

NOTES OF INTEREST:

– Busch has more NCS starts than any active driver
– He will be just the 16th driver to reach the 700 career start milestone; nine of the 15 drivers that have reached that number are currently in the NASCAR Hall of Fame
– Busch has won 31 NCS races with four different car owners – Jack Roush (14), Roger Penske (10), Stewart Haas Racing (6), Chip Ganassi (1). 
– Has won at 16 different tracks 
– Busch competed just one full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2000, before moving-up to the top-tier NCS in 2001

Tracks with wins: (No. of wins)

Atlanta Motor Speedway (3)  Martinsville (2)
Bristol Motor Speedway (6)  Michigan Speedway (3)
California Speedway (1)  New Hampshire Motor Speedway (3)
Charlotte Motor Speedway (1)  Phoenix Raceway (1)
Daytona International Speedway (1)  Pocono Raceway (3)
Dover International Speedway (1)  Richmond Raceway (2)
Homestead-Miami Speedway (1)  Sonoma Raceway (1)
Kentucky Speedway (1)  Texas Motor Speedway (1)

Kurt Busch on NASCAR Cup Series Start No. 700:

“Twenty years at the top-tier of NASCAR is pretty special. I’ve been blessed to have had this opportunity; being able to have raced with a lot of great race teams over the years. It’s amazing how 700 adds-up so fast. Tons of great sponsors, great team owners, great crew guys and great friends. 

700 starts; that is one of those stats where you know that it has been a long run, but I know I’ve still got some more. I got into the sport at a young age, where guys like Jeff Gordon cut the rope down for young guys like me to have an opportunity. It has been interesting to see the sport change so much over the last 20 years, I feel like I can connect easily to the past, yet still have an opportunity to teach some of the new kids.

I appreciate everyone that has provided me the opportunity to go out there and race. It has been fun, but there’s still more to accomplish!”

— Chip Ganassi Racing —