Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin: Which Joe Gibbs Racing Star Will Bag More Wins in 2021 NASCAR Season?

Published 01/20/2021, 12:51 AM EST

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series is almost here, and the hype is building up. This year, the Joe Gibbs Racing team is aiming to go in all guns blazing. For that to happen, the team needs all 4 of its drivers to deliver peak performance.

For Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin in particular, the new season is all the more important. Last year was a season of contrasting fortunes for Busch and Hamlin.

As the defending champion, Kyle Busch could not put up a decent fight and got eliminated early in the playoff battle. To make matters worse for him, he failed to reach Victory Lane at every race except for the Texas Motor Speedway.

Article continues below this ad

Meanwhile, Hamlin enjoyed one of his best seasons and wound up in the Championship 4. Even better for the #11 driver, he almost matched Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick in the win counter.

In the end, Denny Hamlin could only muster 4th place. However, he will definitely be fired up for the new season.

WATCH: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Others Feature in New NASCAR Commercial for 2021 Season

Kyle Busch vs Denny Hamlin: The battle begins

The 2021 Cup Series season is a chance for redemption for both drivers. Obviously, Kyle Busch wants to bounce back from his disappointing 2020 campaign.

Article continues below this ad

Meanwhile, Hamlin simply has to regroup and try again for his maiden Cup Series title. The 40-year-old has been at it for a long time.

Admittedly, both drivers are approaching the twilight of their careers. Busch is already 36-years-old, and he is not getting any younger.

Article continues below this ad

Despite the age factor, they are still relatively in their prime and are capable of challenging for Cup titles. Truthfully, it could be difficult to choose between either driver.

However, the edge probably goes to Hamlin, since the momentum would probably be with him. Now, whether he can translate that into a maiden Cup Series title is another mystery. Meanwhile, a question also remains, whether Kyle Busch can make up for his disappointing 2020 campaign.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.