Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick are the most tenured among the current roster of regulars in the NASCAR Cup Series, Busch going full-time in NASCAR’s top series in 2001 after a seven-race schedule the prior season. Harvick also went full-time in 2001, one race into the season when he was selected to take over driving duties at Richard Childress Racing upon the death of Dale Earnhardt at the end of the season-opening Daytona 500. Busch is slated to make his 700th-career start Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the green flag waves for the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400. Harvick is expected to hit the same milestone two races later at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19.
Busch began his Cup Series career with Roush Fenway Racing. He claimed his first four-career wins in his sophomore season of 2002 and two years later, handed car owner Jack Roush his second-consecutive Cup Series title in 2004. Since his start with Roush, Busch also drove for teams including Team Penske, Phoenix Racing, Furniture Row Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing before joining Chip Ganassi Racing to replace the retiring Jamie McMurray ahead of the 2019 season. He is in his second year as driver of the #1 CGR Chevrolet. The most recent of his 31-career wins came last year at Kentucky Speedway.
Busch and Harvick are former teammates, both joining SHR ahead of the 2014 season. Harvick moved to Stewart-Haas from RCR and remains the driver of the #4 SHR Ford. He claimed his Cup championship in that first season with SHR.
Harvick is a 52-race winner in the Cup Series, including three wins this year and a first win that came in his third start in 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
