Kyle Busch names Kyle Larson, William Byron as 'cream of the crop' drivers in NASCAR

Kyle Busch believes Kyle Larson and William Byron are two of the best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. In an interview with NASCAR legend and FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick, Busch was asked if there’s one guy in the Cup Series that he thinks has a similar driving style.

“The cream of the crop is Kyle or William with this (Netx Gen) car,” Busch said. “I would say those two are the guys that are most competitive each and every week. We try to rely on them a lot. Randall [Burnett] got a good relationship with the engineer on the 24 (Byron). They went to school together. I’ve got a really good relationship with Rudy [Fugle]. He worked at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for 10 years.

“Kyle and I, we’re close off the racetrack. Our kids race with one another. I bounce some ideas off of him. That’s how I look at it right now, but there’s no clear-cut definitive driving style I would say.”

Kyle Busch isn’t the only one to think Kyle Larson and William Byron are “cream of the crop” NASCAR drivers. Before the start of the 2025 season, Athlon Sports released its racing preview magazine and ranked Larson and Byron as the first and fourth-best drivers in NASCAR, respectively.

When talking about Larson, Athlon said, “Larson’s versatility plays into his hands when it comes to success at different racetracks. He has wins at short tracks, intermediates, and road courses, along with two of the sport’s crown jewels (Southern 500, Brickyard 400). The only tracks missing on his résumé are superspeedways; Larson has never posted a top-5 finish in the Daytona 500 and Talladega’s inclusion in the Round of 8 looms large.”

For Byron, Athlon said, “Byron is no one-trick pony. Six of his 13 career Cup wins have come on intermediate tracks, but he’s got trophies on his shelf from short tracks, road courses, and superspeedways.”

Larson and Byron are off to strong starts this year. In five races, Larson has earned three top-10 finishes including P3 finishes at Atlanta and Phoenix. Byron won this year’s Daytona 500 and finished in the top 10 in all but one race.