Kyle Busch continues to lead active NASCAR Cup drivers in short track wins, despite enduring another season without a victory at these venues in 2025. The importance of short track racing remains strong, with the competition intensifying as drivers chase achievements on tracks where Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Brad Keselowski have each built impressive records. This article reviews the current top five active NASCAR Cup Series racers with the most short track wins, offering a current look at their achievements as the competitive landscape evolves.
Multiple Winners Emerge on Short Tracks in 2025
The 2025 NASCAR season has seen a varied group of winners on short tracks, underscoring the challenge and unpredictability of these circuits. Despite his record as the leading short track racer, Kyle Busch was unable to secure a victory lane appearance this year. Denny Hamlin, among the field’s most accomplished drivers, managed to capture short track podiums at both Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, maintaining his reputation for excelling on these demanding layouts.
Ranking the Leading Active Drivers in Short Track Victories
As the season progressed, five active Cup drivers distinguished themselves with their historical and recent performances on short tracks. Their achievements highlight both consistency and adaptability, offering fans and analysts insight into their ongoing legacies in NASCAR.
Joey Logano: Success Across Multiple Short Tracks
Joey Logano boasts five career wins on short tracks, claiming two victories each at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway, and one at Martinsville Speedway. His standout drive this season took place in the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he finished in the runner-up position after a caution impacted the race’s conclusion. The Team Penske driver has maintained competitive form even as the dynamic of short track racing shifts with evolving rules and formats.
Kyle Larson: Dominance at Bristol Motor Speedway
Kyle Larson has claimed six short track wins, with three of those triumphs taking place at Bristol Motor Speedway. Notably, Larson led an impressive 411 laps en route to consecutive wins at the high-banked half-mile. His other victories are split between Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway, although he was unable to visit victory lane at either track this year. Larson’s record underscores his mastery at Bristol and his competitive presence across NASCAR’s renowned short track circuits.
Brad Keselowski: Adding to His Short Track Legacy
Brad Keselowski currently holds seven short track wins, matching Kyle Larson for victories at Bristol and Martinsville, but edging ahead thanks to an additional win at Richmond Raceway. This season, Keselowski twice finished second—once in the Bristol playoff race, contributing to his fifth top-five finish, and again at Phoenix Raceway. His ongoing form reflects both his experience and sharp racing instincts on some of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks.
Denny Hamlin: Ascending Veteran with Multiple Wins
Denny Hamlin has compiled 15 short track victories, including four at Bristol Motor Speedway, six at Martinsville Speedway, and five at Richmond Raceway. This year, the seasoned competitor secured another win at Martinsville and finished second in Bristol’s spring event. Hamlin led 274 laps at Martinsville, illustrating his expertise; however, he was unable to lead laps at other short track events this season. Hamlin’s track record confirms his ongoing dominance as one of NASCAR’s premier short track performers.
Kyle Busch: Leading the Pack Despite Recent Challenges
Kyle Busch remains atop the active short track win standings, with 16 victories in total. Although he endured a second straight winless short track season in 2025, Busch’s legacy is substantial—having notched eight wins at Bristol Motor Speedway, two at Martinsville Speedway, and six at Richmond Raceway. His most recent short track victory dates back to 2019 at Bristol. This year, Busch did not record a single top-10 finish at these venues, highlighting the difficulty he and his team faced with the current car configuration known as the Next Gen package.
Discussing his struggles, Busch provided insight into ongoing challenges in an interview earlier this year:
“The racing has definitely not gotten better with the Next Gen at short track. Why that is? I don’t know. We tried different aero packages, we tried different tires. I think it’s just the similarity in all the parts and pieces and everybody being the same,” he said.
This honest assessment from Busch, who also finished fifth at Phoenix Raceway and Circuit of The Americas, reflects growing conversations within the sport regarding the effects of new equipment standards and increased parity across teams.
Short Track Performance Set to Shape Coming Seasons
The careers of drivers like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Joey Logano show just how essential short track prowess is to achieving long-term success in NASCAR. The 2025 season’s results, coupled with continued debate over the impact of the Next Gen package, suggest that short track wins will remain a critical milestone for Cup drivers. As competition intensifies and teams search for any edge, the battle for short track supremacy promises to stay at the forefront of racing storylines, drawing attention to the evolving legacy of stars like Busch and Hamlin in the pursuit of victory.
