Paying tribute to his longtime teammate and fierce competitor.
Yesterday, Denny Hamlin won the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, tying the late, great Kyle Busch on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list as he secured his 63rd career victory, moving him into a tie with Busch for ninth place all-time.
The two were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for 15 years, racing alongside each other from 2008 through the 2022 season. Throughout those 15 seasons, the duo made over 500 Cup Series starts together, the longest tenure as teammates for any drivers in modern NASCAR history. Denny has spoken at-length about their relationship throughout that time, and after his win yesterday, he held a black No. 18 – 8 flag, which also had Kyle’s name on it, out the window of his car as he burned out his tires, as a way to honor Kyle in the wake of his tragic and sudden passing less than three weeks ago:
“Sharing history with a legend. We miss you KB.”
And after the race, Denny spoke about why he wanted to have that flag, saying it was important for him to pay his respects to someone he “looked up to,” adding that he “had to outlive him to tie him,” which speaks volumes about just how talented Busch was:
“Truthfully, I had to outlive him to tie him. He was an amazing teammate. He taught me so much at tracks like this. I just can’t say enough. I just wanted to pay my respects to someone that I really did look up to and taught me so much as a teammate.
There’s nothing we can say or do that’s gonna make his family feel better, but at least during that little time you can pay him the respects that he deserves.”
The NASCAR driver said there was some coordination they had to iron out in order to pay tribute to Busch due to certain trademarks, and his team got to work on it and made sure that they got the permission they needed from RCR to be able to do that with the flag yesterday.
During post-race media time, a reported remarked that Kyle would’ve been “pissed” about Hamlin tying him, which got a good laugh from everyone in the room, including Denny. He agreed, saying that he would’ve told him that he would eventually “get me back”:
“He would’ve been pissed today, absolutely. But I would’ve said to him, ‘you’ll be around here longer. You’ll get me back.'”
It’s just so sad to think that he will never have that chance, though it’s very clear Kyle will always be remembered as one of the absolute best to ever do it:
Denny Hamlin said preparations for his Kyle Busch tribute after winning Michigan began Monday, given there was a chance he might tie Busch on the all-time wins list this weekend. There was stuff to work through, including trademarks, but RCR allowed JGR to use the Busch stylized… pic.twitter.com/t52QWZk5i5
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 8, 2026
This morning, Kyle’s brother and fellow driver Kurt Busch took time to share his own heartfelt post on Instagram, thankiing fans for all of their suppoirt and of course, sharing some about how much his brother meant to him and how much he will be missed:
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, everyone, for the well wishes, support, and love for my brother and our family. Finding a silver lining, I reflect back on the days Kyle and I raced anything we could get our hands on.
From big wheels to competing on the biggest stages in motorsports, we were more than just fierce competitors. We pushed each other, challenged each other, and learned from each other. Kyle, your passion, determination, and love for your family inspired everyone who knew you. No trophy, championship, or accomplishment could ever measure the impact you had on my life and on so many others.
I will forever be grateful for the memories we made, the lessons you taught me, and the brotherhood we shared. My heart is broken, but I know your spirit will always ride with me. Rest easy, little brother.”
