Kyle Busch
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Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports. A highly accomplished racer, Busch is the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion and a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning titles in 2015 and 2019. He currently ranks ninth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list and first in overall wins between the top three NASCAR divisions. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his generation and in NASCAR history, known for his dominance across the sport's three major series. Additionally, Busch briefly held the WWE 24/7 Championship. He is the younger brother of 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
Busch is the former owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports, a race team that competed in the Xfinity Series from 2011 to 2013 and the Truck Series from 2010 to 2023. Known for his aggressive driving style and demeanor, he has earned several nicknames over the years, including "Rowdy" and "Wild Thing". He is also called "the Candy Man" due to his longtime sponsorship with Mars Inc., "Shrub" as a playful nod to being the younger brother of Kurt Busch (with a small bush being called a shrub), "Kyle Kush" because of his partnership with cannabis company 3Chi, and the self-proclaimed "KFB."
Early life and career
Busch was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was introduced to racing at the age of six, driving a makeshift go-kart around the cul-de-sac in his family's neighborhood. Although he could not reach the throttle, his father, Tom, controlled the gas pedal while Busch focused on steering and learning the basics of driving. Growing up, Busch spent time working in the family garage alongside his father and older brother, Kurt. By the age of ten, he had taken on the role of crew chief for Kurt's dwarf car team.
Busch began his driving career in 1998, shortly after turning thirteen. Between 1999 and 2001, he won over 65 races in Legends car racing, claiming two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. In 2001, he transitioned to late model racing, securing 10 victories at the Bullring that season.
At the age of sixteen, Busch began competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing after replacing Nathan Haseleu, who was released midway through the 2001 season. He debuted at Indianapolis Raceway Park, finishing an impressive ninth in his first race. In his second race at Chicago Motor Speedway, he led until his truck ran out of fuel with twelve laps remaining.
Busch was fastest in practice for the 2001 Auto Club 200 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, but was ruled ineligible to compete. This decision stemmed from an interpretation of the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which prohibited individuals under 18 from participating in events sponsored by tobacco companies due to the CART FedEx Championship Series, running at the same venue that weekend, was sponsored by Marlboro. Tim Woods III replaced Busch in the No. 99 Ford and finished 25th. Busch competed in six Truck Series races in 2001, with two ninth-place finishes at IRP and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Six weeks after the Fontana incident, NASCAR implemented a minimum age requirement of eighteen, starting in 2002, to prevent similar incidents. This decision was influenced in part by Winston's sponsorship of NASCAR's premier Winston Cup Series. Following the new age restriction, Busch transitioned from NASCAR to the American Speed Association National Tour, where he finished 8th in the standings. In 2002, Busch graduated early with honors from Durango High School in Las Vegas, to focus on his racing career. That same year, he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, finishing twelfth in the No. 22 Chevrolet for WP Motorsports.
NASCAR
Busch holds several NASCAR records, including the most wins in a season across the top three series in the modern era, with 24 wins in 2010. He also has the most all-time wins in all three national series, with 231 as of April 12, 2024. Busch set the record for most wins in a season in the Xfinity Series with thirteen in 2010 and holds the overall record with 102 wins. He also has the most wins in the Truck Series with 66. Busch is the only driver in history to have 60 wins in each of NASCAR's top three series. In 2019, he tied the record for consecutive top-ten finishes to start a season, matching Morgan Shepherd's streak of 11. His victory at Auto Club Speedway in 2023 made him the record holder for most consecutive seasons with a win, at nineteen, a streak that ended in 2024 with a winless season.
At nineteen years and 317 days old, Busch became NASCAR's youngest-ever pole winner in a Cup Series race at California Speedway in 2005. He also became the youngest driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2006. Busch made history as the first driver to win a race and a championship in a Toyota in the Cup Series, claiming victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2008 and securing the 2015 Cup championship. He is the only driver to win four consecutive spring races at Richmond International Raceway (2009–2012) and was the inaugural winner of the first Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.
Busch, who began his NASCAR career in 2003, is one of only six drivers to have won championships in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. In 2005, he became the 14th of just 36 drivers to win a race in each of NASCAR's three national series. In 2009, Busch made history as the first driver to win two top-tier NASCAR races on the same day at Auto Club Speedway. In 2010, he became the first driver to win races in all three of NASCAR's top series in the same weekend at Bristol, a feat he repeated at the same track in 2017.
Busch made history by winning the 2009 Crown Royal Presents the Russell Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway on his 24th birthday, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to win on their birthday. Twelve years later, on his 36th birthday, he captured victory again in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway, joining Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to win on their birthday twice. In 2010, Kyle Busch Motorsports made an impressive debut, becoming the first Truck Series organization to win the owners' championship in its inaugural season, recording eight wins, 16 top-five finishes, and 21 top-ten finishes.
As of the completion of the 2022 Daytona 500, Busch holds the record for the most lifetime laps led in the history of the race, leading 324 laps, without ever securing a victory in the event.
In December 2021, M&M's/Mars announced it would end its primary sponsorship with Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing after the 2022 season. On September 13, 2022, Busch revealed he had signed a multi-year contract with Richard Childress Racing, beginning in 2023.
Late model racing
Busch has maintained an active presence in regional late model stock car racing, frequently competing in events with his own Kyle Busch Motorsports cars. One of his most significant victories came in December 2009 when he won the 42nd Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. He repeated this achievement in December 2017, claiming his second Snowball Derby victory.
On July 10, 2011, Busch won the 32nd annual Slinger Nationals at Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin. Two weeks later, he claimed victory in the 38th annual TD Bank 250, presented by New England Dodge Dealers, at Oxford Plains Speedway. This marked his third attempt to win the prestigious event, which is New England's largest short-track race. Busch became only the second active NASCAR Cup Series driver to win the race, joining Kevin Harvick, who achieved the feat in 2008. Reflecting on the victory, Busch said, "I've had this one on my list of big races that I wanted to win and now that I've done it, it feels great—it was everything I thought it would be." Busch also dominated the weekend by winning the preliminary Pro All Star Series Oxford 150 the night before, completing a sweep of the event.
In June 2012, Busch won the eighth annual Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway, defeating Tony Stewart in the pay-per-view all-star event.
In July 2013, Busch dominated the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 at the Milwaukee Mile, winning the darkness-shortened event. He led every practice session, set the fastest qualifying time, and outpaced defending race winner Travis Sauter and NASCAR Truck Series regular Johnny Sauter in the 43-car field.
Other racing
Busch was among several American drivers considered to drive for the US-based Formula One team, US F1. However, he declined the offer, citing poor timing. The team ultimately folded due to economic issues before ever competing in a race. Busch was also scheduled to test drive a Toyota F1 car at the end of the 2008 racing season but had to cancel due to his obligation to attend the 2008 Nationwide Series banquet.
In 2020, Busch competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona with AIM Vasser Sullivan, driving a Lexus RC F GT3 alongside Jack Hawksworth, Parker Chase, and Michael De Quesada. He contributed four and a half hours behind the wheel, helping the team secure a ninth-place finish in the GTD class and 26th overall.
Nitrocross, a rallycross series founded by former NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana, invited Busch to compete in the November 2021 race weekend at Firebird Motorsports Park. Busch placed fourth in the Supercar Final, while Pastrana claimed the victory.
In 2023, Busch competed in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), participating in events at Motor Mile Speedway on July 27 and Berlin Raceway on August 3. At Motor Mile, he battled Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer for the win in the closing laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag. This made him one of only four drivers in SRX history to win in their debut race. The following week at Berlin Raceway, Busch secured another victory, going 2-for-2 in the series.
On November 14, 2024, Busch announced that he would run the Chili Bowl Nationals in January 2025. He finished third in the second F-feature, but failed to qualify for the D-feature after finishing fifteenth in the second F-feature after starting from the back of the pack.
Personal life
Kyle Busch married Samantha Sarcinella on December 31, 2010, in Chicago, an event featured in a one-hour special on the Esquire Network. Sarcinella, a native of St. John, Indiana, graduated from Purdue University with a degree in psychology. The couple has two children: a son born in 2015 and a daughter born in 2022.
He has earned several nicknames over the years, including "Rowdy" (from Rowdy Burns from the movie Days of Thunder) and "Wild Thing", "the Candy Man" due to his longtime sponsorship with Mars Inc., "Shrub" as a playful nod to being the younger brother of Kurt Busch (with a small bush being called a shrub),"Kyle Kush" because of his partnership with cannabis company 3Chi, and the self-proclaimed "KFB."
Charity efforts
In 2006, Busch established the Kyle Busch Foundation after visiting St. John's Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Foundation is dedicated to providing essential resources for underprivileged children across the country. In 2008, Busch launched the "Kyle's Miles" program in partnership with Pedigree to support dogs in shelters and breed rescue organizations.
After winning his first Cup Series race at California on September 4, 2005, Busch and team owner Rick Hendrick donated their winnings to the American Red Cross to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Busch announced the donation during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, earning widespread public praise.
In popular media
Busch is a cover driver in NASCAR Kart Racing and appears on the cover of NASCAR Heat 2 after winning the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race cover competition. He is also a playable driver in Forza Motorsport 6 through the NASCAR expansion pack, which includes his No. 18 Camry with M&M's and Interstate Batteries sponsorship. Alongside Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson, Busch provides commentary in the expansion as one of the "voices of motorsport."
Busch made a cameo as a West Virginia state trooper in the 2017 film Logan Lucky. That same year, he appeared as a celebrity contestant on The $100,000 Pyramid. As of August 2019, Busch and his wife starred on CMT's former reality TV show Racing Wives. In 2022, an American documentary titled Rowdy, which focused on Kyle Busch's NASCAR career, was released on June 29, 2022.
Busch, a professional wrestling fan, has appeared on WWE programming multiple times, including guest hosting WWE Raw in 2009 and returning on December 2, 2019. During his 2019 appearance, he briefly won the WWE 24/7 Championship by pinning R-Truth, with NASCAR's Michael Waltrip serving as guest referee. R-Truth later reclaimed the title. The event was part of a cross-promotion with NBC Sports and NASCAR's awards banquet.
Legal issues
On May 24, 2011, Busch was cited for reckless driving and speeding near Troutman, North Carolina, after driving 128 mph (206 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) zone while test-driving a Lexus LFA. He later apologized, admitting he got "carried away." On August 23, 2011, he pleaded guilty to speeding, receiving a US$1,000 fine, a 45-day license suspension, 30 hours of community service, and one year of unsupervised probation.
On April 29, 2014, Busch was cited for driving 60 mph (97 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) zone on NC 73 in Denver, North Carolina. He claimed he believed the speed limit was 55 mph (89 km/h), but the officer noted Busch's "disrespectful attitude."
On February 6, 2023, news reports revealed that Busch had been arrested in Cancún, Mexico, in January for handgun possession. According to the prosecutor, Busch was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined US$1,100, though details about how the sentence would be served were not disclosed. Busch later issued a statement apologizing for his lack of awareness regarding Mexican laws and stated that he considered the matter resolved.
Rowdy Energy
Rowdy Energy, was an energy drink company based in Del Mar, California, was founded in 2019 by NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and beverage entrepreneur Jeff Church.
The drink, named after Busch's nickname "Rowdy," was launched in 2019 by Busch and Jeff Church, co-founder of Suja Juice. Busch created it as a healthier option for himself and his fans. The first batch was produced in January 2020, with ten flavors available online, including seven sugar-free, Keto-certified options. The traditional drinks contained 60% less sugar than other popular energy drinks.
Rowdy branding first appeared at the 2020 24 Hours of Daytona when Busch was seen with a Cherry Limeade can and wearing a Rowdy Energy hat. The logo also appeared on his Daytona 500 helmet, and Busch drank a Rowdy Energy after his race exit. Rowdy Energy is listed as an associate partner on KyleBusch.com. In late 2020, the brand sponsored Formula D driver Ken Gushi. It also sponsored races like the Southern Super Series' Rowdy Energy Twin 100s at Five Flags Speedway and Sprint car racing's the TRD KKBM Giveback Classic. Additionally, Rowdy Energy sponsored sprint and midget car driver Rico Abreu.
On January 10, 2024, Busch announced that Rowdy Energy had ceased operations and closed its doors in the following weeks.
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)
Cup Series
Daytona 500
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 19 | 38 |
| 2006 | 4 | 23 | ||
| 2007 | 8 | 24 | ||
| 2008 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 24 | 4* |
| 2009 | 4 | 41* | ||
| 2010 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 2011 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2012 | 14 | 17 | ||
| 2013 | 4 | 34 | ||
| 2014 | 37 | 19 | ||
| 2015 | INQ† | |||
| 2016 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 2017 | 21 | 38 | ||
| 2018 | 12 | 25 | ||
| 2019 | 31 | 2 | ||
| 2020 | 28 | 34 | ||
| 2021 | 10 | 14 | ||
| 2022 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2023 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 36 | 19 |
| 2024 | 34 | 12 | ||
| 2025 | 21 | 34 | ||
| 2026 | 1 | 15 | ||
| † – Qualified but replaced by Matt Crafton |
O'Reilly Series
Craftsman Truck Series
* Season still in progress 1 Ineligible for series points
ARCA Menards Series
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ARMC | Pts | Ref |
| 2002 | WP Motorsports | 22 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | NSH | SLM | KEN | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | TOL | SBO | KEN | BLN | POC | NSH | ISF | WIN | DSF | CHI | SLM | TAL | CLT 12 | 122nd | 170 | |
| 2003 | Hendrick Motorsports | 87 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | NSH 1* | SLM | TOL | KEN 1* | CLT 11 | BLN | KAN | MCH 36 | LER | POC | POC 25* | NSH | ISF | WIN | DSF | CHI | SLM | TAL 28 | CLT 17 | SBO | 22nd | 1170 | |
| 2004 | DAY 1* | NSH | SLM | KEN | TOL | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | SBO | BLN | KEN | GTW | POC | LER | NSH | ISF | TOL | DSF | CHI | SLM | TAL | 97th | 225 |
Camping World East Series
| NASCAR Camping World East Series results | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | NCWEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2009 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | GRE | TRI | IOW 1* | SBO | GLN | NHA | TMP | ADI | LRP | NHA | DOV | 44th | 190 |
Superstar Racing Experience
(key) * – Most laps led. 1 – Heat 1 winner. 2 – Heat 2 winner.
Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.0 L V8 | DAY 9 | DAY | SEB | ELK | VIR | ATL | MDO | CLT | PET | LGA | SEB | 48th | 22 |
24 Hours of Daytona
| 24 Hours of Daytona results | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Class | No | Team | Car | Co-drivers | Laps | Position | Class Pos. | Ref |
| 2020 | GTD | 14 | Canada AIM Vasser Sullivan | Lexus RC F GT3 | United States Parker Chase United States Michael de Quesada United Kingdom Jack Hawksworth | 757 | 26th | 9th |
Awards and honors
- Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2015, 2019)
- Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion (2018, 2019)
- 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion
- Seven-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner's Champion (as owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports - 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
WWE
- WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time)
Media
- Two-time Best Driver ESPY Award winner (2016, 2019)
See also
- List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners
- List of NASCAR Nationwide Series champions
- List of NASCAR race wins by Kyle Busch
- List of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
- List of people from Las Vegas
External links
- driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- owner statistics at Racing-Reference