NASCAR urged to rename trophy after Kyle Busch’s 2025 championship

NASCAR handed a new demand to rename the Cup Series trophy after Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch was named in a formal petition delivered to NASCAR on 15 July 2026 that urges the sanctioning body to rename its Cup Series championship trophy in his honor. The request arrives one day after Busch claimed his record-extending eighth Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway on 18 November 2025, capping a season that saw him edge out William Byron by 38 points.

What happened?

A group calling itself “Legacy for 18” submitted the petition to NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. The document asks NASCAR to rebrand the Bill France Cup as the Kyle Busch Cup and cites Busch’s 2025 championship as the tipping point. The petition’s organizers argue Busch’s 2025 season-seven wins, 21 top-fives and a .987 average running position-cemented his place among stock car racing’s all-time greats.

Busch, 41, becomes the first driver to win four straight Cup titles since Jimmie Johnson in 2007-2010. His 2025 triumph at Phoenix came on a night when he led 117 of 312 laps and survived a late caution to hold off Byron by 0.582 seconds at the finish.

Why it matters for Kyle Busch

The push to rename the trophy lands in Busch’s 20th full-time Cup season and arrives as NASCAR reshapes its identity around star power. Busch’s camp has not commented on the petition, though team owner Joe Gibbs said Thursday he respects any effort to honor Busch’s impact.

For Busch, the timing is symbolic. He already owns the most Cup wins in history (228) and is the only driver to win in three different decades (2000s, 2010s, 2020s). Renaming the trophy would tie his name permanently to the sport’s top prize, joining legends like Richard Petty whose surname graces the Daytona 500 trophy.

What comes next?

NASCAR’s executive vice president of competition, Steve O’Donnell, confirmed the petition was received and said the sanctioning body will review it “in due course.” O’Donnell added that any change would require approval from NASCAR’s board and the France family, which controls the sport.

Meanwhile, Busch is scheduled to make his 2026 season debut at the Busch Light Clash on 19 January at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Gibbs says Busch remains focused on adding to his record tally rather than the trophy debate. “He’s chasing numbers right now,” Gibbs said. “The rest will sort itself out.”