2015 Rearview: After an XFINITY Series crash left Kyle Busch with broken right leg and left foot, sidelining him for the first 11 Sprint Cup races of 2015, it felt like a run at his first Cup title would have to wait another year. Four weeks after his return Busch went on a Petty-like run, winning four out of five races in June and July - including three straight wins at Kentucky, Loudon and Indianapolis. He followed up the string of victories with some of the most point-savvy driving the Chase era, with 10 Top-10 finishes through 15 races and Top-5 showings in each of the Eliminator Round races. All four JGR drivers raced their way into the original Chase field, but it's Busch, playing with house money and maybe driving better than he has at any point in his career, who's the last one standing.
His Career: Busch has just one Chase race win to his name over the course of his career, coming 10 years ago (his rookie season) at the 2005 Checker Auto Parts 500 in Phoenix when he wasn't even Chase eligible. Yet he isn't without some measure of success, with two top-five Championship finishes, including fourth in 2013. With what he's overcome this season, 2015 might already go down as a career-defining year for the No. 18 driver. A Sprint Cup Championship would cement that.
History at Homestead: Of the Championship Four, Busch has the hardest time figuring out the South Florida track. An average finish of 23.1 (19th or worse showing in 10 career Cup starts at Homestead) and just one Top-5 finish to his name, he'll need to re-write his tumultuous Homestead history. But after the season he's had, would you really be surprised if he kept the magic going?
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