Kyle Busch: 300

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

At just 27 years of age, it’s difficult to believe Kyle Busch is considered by many to be a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran.

But as the Sprint Cup competitors head to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth this Saturday night for the NRA 500, the driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is showing veteran-like numbers to prove it, especially since the Texas start will be his 300th in NASCAR’s top series.

Along with his number of starts, the number in the career wins column also serves to belie Busch’s age. His 25th Sprint Cup win three weekends ago at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. – in Interstate Batteries colors, no less – ties him with JGR teammate Matt Kenseth, along with Jim Paschal and Joe Weatherly, for 24th in all-time Sprint Cup victories.

Also with the Fontana win, Busch became just the third driver to score 25 victories in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series (25 Sprint Cup, 54 Nationwide). Mark Martin (40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide) and Kenseth (25 Sprint Cup, 26 Nationwide) are the only other drivers to do so. Interestingly enough, Kenseth became the second driver to do so with his win three weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In Busch’s 299 previous starts, he’s also has notched an impressive 97 top-five finishes and 144 top-10s. Not too shabby for just 300 career starts.

But despite all of those landmark finishes, Busch no doubt has his sights set on yet another elusive milestone Saturday night – a Sprint Cup win at Texas, situated right in the backyard of Dallas-based Interstate Batteries.

Interstate Batteries dealers and distributors across the country know if there’s anyone who can finally get that long-awaited Sprint Cup win in the Lone Star State, its Busch.

He reeled off an incredible string of five consecutive Nationwide Series wins at Texas from April 2008 to April 2010, and has come close to the elusive first Sprint Cup win in recent years there as he has posted five top-fives and six top-10s at the 1.5-mile oval, which include a tie for his career best of third there last November.

The Interstate Batteries driver also arrives in Texas fresh off his fourth top-five finish in a row Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, a finish that vaulted him to fourth in the Sprint Cup standings.

So, as Busch heads to Texas for his 300th Sprint Cup start, he’ll hope to use that nice, round numeral to grab a number one, which would be the first win at the “Great American Speedway” for himself and hometown sponsor Interstate Batteries.

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