Kyle Busch named NMPA Driver of the Year

Busch's historic comeback from a leg injury at Daytona to win his first Sprint Cup title has earned him the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Driver of the Year award.

The JGR driver missed the first 11 races of the season and after being granted a medical waiver from NASCAR that kept him eligible for the Chase, he was faced with the daunting task of reaching the Top 30 in points by Race 26 -- Richmond. 

He didn't just crack the Top 30 with a couple races to spare, but won four races, including the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In the postseason, he narrowly escaped elimination each round before comfortably making the cut for the Championship 4. At Homestead, he sealed the crown with yet another victory.

After injuries sustained in that crash in February, the primary question was whether he will ever race again. And now we're asking if he'll defend his title.

His run to the head table in Vegas was one thought nearly impossible in the modern day of NASCAR, and one unlikely to be matched in the years to come.

“I just want to thank the National Motorsports Press Association for voting me as the Richard Petty Driver of the Year,” said Busch. “Last year was the most challenging, yet rewarding year of my career. While this honor has my name on it, I don’t think it would have possible without the hard work and dedication from everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota and TRD.

“On the personal side, I can’t thank the doctors and everyone at OrthoCarolina enough for helping me get back into racing shape, but also my wife Samantha and my entire family for all they did to get me back on my feet. Just looking at the list of past winners, it’s a tremendous honor to have my name mentioned along with many other great champions of our sport.”