Jumpman! Kurt Busch wins at Kansas

The NASCAR Cup Series went out to the midwest at Kansas Speedway for the AdventHealth 400, where 43-year-old Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Series Champion, picked up his 34th career win driving for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s No. 45 Toyota with Air Jordan sponsoring the car. This gives 23XI Racing their second win as a team and first since Bubba Wallace won last fall at Talladega in a rain-shortened race. This also marks his first win in a Toyota, since he has won in a Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge throughout his racing career.

“It’s all about teamwork,” Kurt said in his post-race interview. “I don’t do this alone and the way that Toyota has helped us, JGR, my little brother has been some important just helping on the family side of ‘Hey, you gotta get through these steps.'”

“Bubba’s a tremendous teammate, but this is 23XI, and this is our first win for the 45 car, and with Jordan brand on the hood, I felt like I had to play like the GOAT, race like the GOAT, and I had to beat the Kyle’s. I beat both. This was like the Kyle and Kyle show. I remember when Ned Jarrett said this was the Dale and Dale Show.”

“This 45 car is a winner now!”

Kyle Larson came home in second and was battling side-by-side with Kurt Busch with eight laps to go until hitting the wall.

“We were racing for the win, he never got into me so I’m trying to squeeze the throttle to get position on him and just got right,” Larson said in his post-race interview. “That was a fun race with Kurt. The last half of the race I was trying hard, the whole time I about spun out in front of him there some point in the third stage. We just kept fighting through it.”

“I hit the wall a lot today,” He said referring to hitting the wall a few times near the end.

Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, commented on Busch’s win, saying, “Kurt ran a great race today and I’m so happy for him, the 45 crew, and our entire 21XI racing team. This win showed why Kurt is a champion and why we brought him on board.”

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin finished third and fourth in that order, as Hamlin took in his second win as a team owner.

“It’s huge. I’m so proud of Kurt and Bubba as well,” Hamlin said. “Bubba deserved a shot at the win as well. They were so much better than that. There were just mistakes, and we’re working on that. I feel like I’ve let these guys down with pit road, and it’s just part of it.”

“It’s growing pains, but, man, this is what this team is capable of, and I’m so happy for Kurt. Way more joy than if I was winning.”

Pole Sitter Christopher Bell finished fifth with Martin Truex Jr in sixth, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Alex Bowman, and Bubba Wallace finished out the top 10 after Bubba Wallace had more pit road problems late in the race.

The next race is the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway on May 22nd at 8 PM EST on FS1. Kyle Larson won this event a year ago.