Kyle Busch’s 2009 Las Vegas victory remains one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR history—not just for the win, but for the bravado that preceded it. Starting 39th after a blown engine in qualifying, the Las Vegas native promised fans a show. Three hours later, he delivered, kissing the pavement in triumph as his hometown crowd roared.
Busch returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, 15 years later, amid a 61-race winless streak. Fans are left wondering if the two-time Cup Series champion can recapture that magic and reignite his “Rowdy” era.
Kyle Busch’s Vegas Triumph: From Last to First
Even from the back of the grid, Busch never lacked confidence. “Hey, you know what? We’re going to the back, so get ready for a show—here it comes,” he declared during pre-race introductions.
The Durango High School graduate methodically sliced through the field, learning from the aggression that cost him a Nationwide Series win the day before. By Lap 210, he took the lead for the first time. A late debris caution shuffled him back to third, but Busch pounced on the restart, surging past Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer within seconds.
Spotter Jeff Dickerson’s radio call summed up the moment: “Goodnight, Gracie!” Busch later admitted, “I didn’t care what it meant. I just said, ‘That’s right, boy, here we go.’”
Two more cautions tested his resolve. Each time, Busch held firm, fending off Bowyer and Burton to seal the win. Older brother Kurt, who finished 23rd, greeted him in Victory Lane with a nod to their shared history: “Congratulations. We watched this place get built.”
Checkered Flag Kiss Cemented Legacy
Busch’s celebration was pure theater. After grabbing the checkered flag, he knelt and kissed the asphalt he once watched being paved as a child. His mother, Gaye, wept nearby. “It was great to have her here,” Busch said. “We missed Dad—he’s back home working.”
The victory was Busch’s first at his home track after years of near-misses. Mechanical issues and handling struggles had plagued his previous attempts, including an 11th-place finish in 2008. This time, patience and precision paid off. “I had to kiss the ground that this place was built on. We watched it built from the ground up,” he said.
The post-race celebration? Pure Vegas. “We’re partying it up big,” Busch grinned. “The plane can’t go home tonight, so it’s going to be one heck of a party in Las Vegas.”
Now 39, Busch enters this weekend’s Pennzoil 400 with momentum—a top-five finish at Circuit of the Americas and two top-10s this season. The track where he once declared, “Here it comes,” offers him another shot at rewriting his recent narrative.