As NASCAR returns to Sonoma Raceway, we remember the most memorable drives of Kyle Busch's career at the historic road course. He won twice there at the Cup level, and once in the Truck Series.
Busch is the winningest driver in NASCAR history with 234 victories across the top three series, earning his final win just days before his unexpected passing on May 21st, at the age of 41.
We have decided to remember Kyle with this weekly series, highlighting his most impressive, memorable, or even infamous moments at whatever track is up next on the NASCAR Cup schedule.
We've already covered Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono, which you can find by clicking the names of the each of track, or following the links below before we get into Motorsport.com's list of Sonoma moments.
Sonoma 2008 -- KB's first Cup win on a road course
In 2008, KB won eight races in his very first season as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver. At Sonoma, he started 30th and made quick work of the midfield, but an opportune caution helped jump to the front, taking the lead on Lap 33. Outside of a brief moment during green-flag pit stops, he never gave up the lead again. It was pure dominance by the M&Ms No. 18, leading 78 of 112 laps, and securing his first-ever Cup win on a road course.
Sonoma 2015 -- Busch brothers 1-2 and the beginning of a historic title run
Busch suffered a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a broken left foot at the start of the 2025 season, which is not how championship runs normally begin. However, after missing the first eleven races of the year, he returned with two goals: Win, and crack the top 30 in points.
Doing so would put him into the playoffs under the win and you're in format. Well, it didn't take him very long. In just his fifth race back, Busch charged through the field on fresher tires on a late-race restart. He ran down Jimmie Johnson, passing him with five laps to go. He then had to hold off his older brother Kurt, capturing the checkered flag just half-a-second ahead of him. And so began the 2015 title run for KB, where he would ultimately earn his first of two Cup Series titles.
Sonoma 2022 -- Final win as a Toyota driver, and keeping Truck win streak alive
For the first time in 24 years, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned to Sonoma Raceway in 2022, and of course, Busch just had to be part of it. He qualified third, but went on to lead 45 of 75 laps, winning the race. Busch has one Truck start at Sonoma, and one win. Since the series has yet to return to the track since then, Busch remains the most recent Truck winner at Sonoma as well. It was also his final win as Toyota driver in any level of NASCAR, but even more notably, it was Busch's only Truck win of the year, keeping his seasonal win streak alive at ten consecutive years. He continued to add to that record with 14 consecutive years with at least one Truck win per season, culminating with his final win at Dover 2026, just days before his passing.
Sonoma 2023 -- Almost winning back-to-back races with RCR
After what ended up being his 63rd and final NASCAR Cup win, Busch nearly added a 64th just one week later at Sonoma Raceway. Just for the record, to this very day, an RCR driver has not won back-to-back Cup races since Kevin Harvick did it over 15 years ago, but Busch almost got it done in 2023. Busch led 17 laps during the mid-portion of the race, but remained a contender to the very end. He followed Martin Truex Jr. through a group of cars that stayed out on older tires, but simply couldn't keep pace with MTJ in the closing laps. He crossed the line 2.9 seconds behind Truex.
Kyle Busch Sonoma NASCAR Stats
NASCAR CUP: 20 starts / 2 wins / 0 poles / 7 top fives / 10 top tens / 133 laps led
NASCAR O'REILLY: N/A
NASCAR TRUCKS: 1 start / 1 win / 0 poles / 1 top five / 1 top ten / 45 laps led
