Who's the best driver in the NASCAR Cup Series right now? It's a question that comes up frequently and is almost always hotly debated among fans. It's also a question that has resounded throughout NASCAR's 75 years, with many variations. Richard Petty vs. David Pearson? Petty vs. Cale Yarborough? Bill Elliott vs. Darrell Waltrip? Dale Earnhardt vs. Jeff Gordon? Gordon vs. Jimmie Johnson? But who is today's best NASCAR driver?
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Kyle Petty has a unique perspective that people must take into consideration whenever he weighs in on a NASCAR issue. He is a part of NASCAR's royal family that raced in the sport pretty much nonstop from the Series' beginning in 1948 to the time Petty retired from driving in 2008. Between them, the Petty family — Lee, Richard and Kyle — has amassed 262 Cup Series victories. Since his retirement from racing, Petty has become a pundit and commentator for NASCAR races.
In a video posted on NASCAR.com, Petty dove into who he thinks is the best current NASCAR driver. While many point to Kyle Larson, Petty thinks the honor belongs to another Kyle.
"We talk about Kyle Larson being the greatest race car driver on the face of the Earth at this point in time. You read it in any paper, you pick it up, you see it all the time," Petty said. "Thirty-one years old, 24 wins, one championship. Kyle Busch — 38 years old, seven years older, 63 wins, two championships. Once he [Larson] surpasses Kyle Busch, then maybe I'll give you that he's one of the greatest race car drivers on the face of the Earth and he can do anything anytime, but Kyle Busch is still getting it done."
Busch has 63 Cup wins — and if you count his victories in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series, his win total across NASCAR is 230. Busch also has two Cup championships and one Xfinity title in his career. The only thing missing from Busch's accomplishments is a Daytona 500 victory.
Indeed, Busch is still getting it done. After switching from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing to begin the 2023 season, Busch had three wins last year. On the other hand, Larson races for NASCAR's top team. The 2021 Cup champion could easily eclipse Busch's impressive record and might climb even higher into the stratosphere of NASCAR greats so long as he stays at Hendrick Motorsports and the team remains as strong as it has historically been.
So who's better? Kyle Larson or Kyle Busch? Or is there another driver who deserves consideration as NASCAR's best?
