Kurt Busch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kurt Busch |
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Busch at Sonoma Raceway in 2024
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| Born | Kurt Thomas Busch August 4, 1978 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 2004 Nextel Cup Series Champion 2003 IROC Champion 2010 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Winner 2011 Budweiser Shootout Winner 2017 Daytona 500 Winner 1999 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Champion Has won a race with four engine suppliers (Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and Toyota) |
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| Awards | 2000 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year 2014 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2023) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2026) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 776 races run over 24 years | |||||||
| 2022 position | 30th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2004) | ||||||
| First race | 2000 MBNA.com 400 (Dover) | ||||||
| Last race | 2022 Ambetter 301 (New Hampshire) | ||||||
| First win | 2002 Food City 500 (Bristol) | ||||||
| Last win | 2022 AdventHealth 400 (Kansas) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 30 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| 2013 position | 104th | ||||||
| Best finish | 39th (2006) | ||||||
| First race | 2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas) | ||||||
| Last race | 2013 Subway Firecracker 250 (Daytona) | ||||||
| First win | 2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas) | ||||||
| Last win | 2012 Subway Jalapeño 250 (Daytona) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 28 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| 2012 position | 87th | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (2000) | ||||||
| First race | 2000 Daytona 250 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 2012 Fred's 250 (Talladega) | ||||||
| First win | 2000 Sears DieHard 200 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last win | 2000 Motorola 200 (Fontana) | ||||||
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| 2014 position | 25th | ||||||
| Best finish | 25th (2014) | ||||||
| First race | 2014 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of December 25, 2021. | |||||||
Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is famous for racing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000 to 2022. His last team was 23XI Racing, where he drove the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD. Kurt Busch is a NASCAR Cup Series champion and won the 2017 Daytona 500. He is the older brother of Kyle Busch, who is also a two-time Cup Series champion.
Busch started his NASCAR Cup Series journey in 2000. He raced for many teams, including 23XI Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart–Haas Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Phoenix Racing, Penske Racing, and Roush Racing. He won 34 Cup races and became champion in 2004, when NASCAR introduced its "Chase for the Cup" playoff system. In 2006, he joined a special group of drivers who have won races in all three of NASCAR's top series: the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Kurt is the only driver to win Cup races with four different car manufacturers: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Toyota.
Besides stock car racing, Busch also competed in the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and even drag racing. In 2023, he was honored as one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.
Contents
Racing Career Highlights
Early Days in Racing
Kurt Busch started racing when he was 14 years old. His dad introduced him to Dwarf car racing at Pahrump Valley Speedway. He also raced in IMCA Modified events.
A big chance came for Busch when another promising driver, Chris Trickle, was injured. Busch got the opportunity to race for Trickle's No. 70 team. He gained national attention in 1997, racing against well-known drivers like Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton, Greg Biffle, and Kevin Harvick.
In 1998, Busch won Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series. He then won the championship in that series in 1999. His success led him to a spot with Roush Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the No. 99 Ford F-150, Busch won four races and finished second in the championship. He was also named Rookie of the Year.
NASCAR Journey
Roush Racing Years
2000–2005: Becoming a Champion
In 2000, Roush Racing announced that Busch would move straight to the Winston Cup Series in 2001. He took over the No. 97 John Deere Ford for some races at the end of 2000. His best finish was 13th at Charlotte.
In 2001, Rubbermaid became Busch's main sponsor. He earned three Top 5 finishes and six Top 10 finishes. In the 2001 Daytona 500, Busch had a notable moment with Dale Earnhardt. They made contact on the track. This was his only on-track interaction with Earnhardt, who sadly passed away later in the race. Busch finished 27th in points and second in the Rookie of the Year standings.
The 2002 season was a big year for Busch. He won his first race at Bristol. He went on to win three more races that year, including at Martinsville, Atlanta, and Homestead. He had 12 Top 5 finishes and 20 Top 10 finishes, ending the season 3rd in points.
Busch continued his winning ways in 2003 with four more victories, including winning both races at Bristol. He also had a very close finish at Darlington, losing by just 0.002 seconds. He finished 11th in points.
In 2004, Busch won three races and two pole positions. He also won the first-ever NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship. He won his fourth straight race at Bristol and swept both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. During the final race at Homestead, he had a scary moment when a wheel issue almost ended his championship hopes. But he recovered and won the title. He finished the season with 10 Top 5s and 21 Top 10s.
In 2005, Busch decided to leave Roush Racing to join Penske Racing South. He won three races, had nine Top 5 finishes, and 18 Top 10 finishes in 34 races. He finished 10th in the final points standings.
Penske Racing Years
2006–2011: New Team, More Wins
In 2006, racing for Penske, Busch won his fifth race at Bristol. He also earned six pole positions and finished 16th in points. He made his Busch Series debut for Penske and won his first race in that series at Texas. He also won a second Busch Series race at Watkins Glen.
In 2007, Busch won two races and earned a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. His performance improved when Pat Tryson became his crew chief.
In 2008, Busch helped his teammate Ryan Newman win the 2008 Daytona 500 by pushing him across the finish line. This was Penske's first Daytona 500 win. Busch also won a rain-shortened race at New Hampshire, ending a 29-race winless streak. He finished 18th in points.
Busch started 2009 with a 10th-place finish in the 2009 Daytona 500. He won the Kobalt Tools 500, leading most of the race. He also had a special moment with his brother Kyle after Kyle's win at Las Vegas. Kurt made the Chase and finished 4th in points. He won another race at Texas.
In 2010, Steve Addington became Busch's crew chief. Kurt won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600, becoming one of only seven drivers to win both in the same year. He finished 11th in the Chase standings.
In 2011, Busch took over the No. 22 Dodge. He won the Budweiser Shootout and a Gatorade Duel race. He started first in the 2011 Daytona 500. He won his first road course race at Infineon Raceway and also won a Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen. He won at Dover, which was his last win for Penske Racing. He finished 11th in points.
Leaving Penske Racing
Kurt Busch's time at Penske Racing ended in December 2011. He had some challenging moments with the media. He later shared that he was working with a sports psychologist to improve his behavior.
Phoenix Racing Years
2012: A Challenging Season
After leaving Penske Racing, Busch joined Phoenix Racing to drive the No. 51 Chevrolet for the 2012 season. He also raced part-time in the Nationwide Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
At Talladega, Busch's No. 51 car had a special paint scheme inspired by the racing comedy ... and the City. He ran well but had a spin late in the race. He finished 20th.
Busch had a tough race at Darlington, where he was involved in a crash. He was later suspended from a race at Pocono due to a verbal outburst with a reporter. He returned to win a Nationwide Series race at Daytona. He also had a strong 3rd-place finish at Sonoma.
Furniture Row Racing Years
2012–2013: Getting Back on Track
On September 24, 2012, it was announced that Busch would drive the No. 78 Chevrolet SS for Furniture Row Racing in 2013. He finished the 2012 season with three Top 10 finishes.
The 2013 season showed great improvement for Busch and Furniture Row Racing. He had a 4th-place finish at Bristol and a 3rd-place finish at Fontana, behind his brother Kyle. He also had a strong 3rd-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600.
At Richmond, Busch was a contender for the win but had a collision with Tony Stewart. At Talladega, he was involved in a big crash but was unharmed. He earned his first pole position of the season at Darlington.
Busch had several more Top 5 and Top 10 finishes throughout the season. He finished 2nd at Richmond, which helped Furniture Row Racing make the Chase for the first time. He finished 10th in the final standings.
Stewart-Haas Racing Years
On August 26, 2013, Kurt Busch announced he would join Stewart–Haas Racing. His car would be the No. 41.
2014–2018: More Wins and Playoffs
In 2014, Busch had a great race at Fontana, finishing 3rd behind his brother Kyle. The next week, he won at Martinsville, his first win since 2011. At Darlington, he crashed late in the race but was uninjured.
Busch attempted to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a rare challenge. He finished 6th in the Indy 500 but had an engine issue in the Coca-Cola 600.
He had strong finishes at Pocono and Watkins Glen. After a crew chief change, his performance improved, and he consistently qualified well. He finished 12th in the final standings.
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Busch started 2015 with some challenges. He was suspended by NASCAR for a period but was later cleared to race again. He returned with a 5th-place finish at Phoenix and won the pole at Auto Club Speedway. He then won at Richmond and Michigan. At Sonoma, he finished 2nd to his brother Kyle, marking their first 1-2 finish in the Cup Series. Despite missing three races, he finished 8th in the championship.
In 2016, Busch had two pole wins early in the season. His only win came at Pocono. He had a very consistent season, setting a record for the most consecutive lead-lap finishes. He finished 7th in the championship.
Stewart-Haas Racing switched to Ford cars in 2017. Busch won the Daytona 500, passing Kyle Larson on the final lap. This was a huge win! He finished 14th in the standings that year.
In 2018, Busch signed a one-year deal with Stewart-Haas Racing. He started strong with several pole positions. He won his first race in 58 starts at the Bristol night race, which secured his spot in the 2018 Playoffs. He made it to the Round of 8 and finished 7th in points. He announced he would leave SHR at the end of the year.
Chip Ganassi Racing Years
2019–2021: Joining CGR
On December 4, 2018, it was confirmed that Busch would join Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He finished 2nd to his brother Kyle at Bristol, their second 1-2 finish. Busch earned his first win with CGR at Kentucky, beating Kyle on the final restart. This was the third time the Busch brothers finished 1-2, and the first time Kurt won. He made the playoffs and finished 13th in points.
In 2020, Busch made the playoffs without a win, showing great consistency. He then won at Las Vegas, his 32nd career victory, which moved him into the Round of 8. He finished 10th in points.
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Busch started 2021 with good finishes. In July, he won the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta, holding off his brother Kyle. This secured his spot in the playoffs and was their final 1-2 finish together. He finished 11th in points.
23XI Racing Years
2022: Final Full-Time Season
On August 27, 2021, it was announced that Busch would drive the No. 45 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing in 2022. He had promising Top 5 finishes early in the season and then won at Kansas.
Accident at Pocono and Retirement
At the Pocono race in 2022, Busch had a qualifying crash and was not cleared to race due to concussion symptoms. He missed the rest of the season. On October 16, 2022, he announced he would step away from full-time racing in 2023. On August 26, 2023, Busch confirmed his retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Other Racing Adventures
Drag Racing (NHRA)
In 2011, Kurt Busch trained with veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and earned his NHRA Pro Stock racing license. He made his drag racing debut on March 10, 2011. He became only the fourth driver to race in both NASCAR and NHRA, joining Tony Stewart, Richard Petty, and John Andretti.
Open-Wheel Racing (IndyCar)
In 2003, Busch tested a Champ Car for Bobby Rahal. In 2013, he tested an IndyCar for Andretti Autosport at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 2014, Kurt Busch decided to try to qualify for the 2014 Indianapolis 500, driving for Andretti Autosport. He also planned to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a challenge known as double duty. Busch started 12th in the Indy 500 and finished an impressive sixth. However, his attempt to complete both races ended early in the Coca-Cola 600 due to an engine issue.
International Race of Champions
Busch competed in the 2014 Race of Champions for Team USA. He also participated in the 2017 Race of Champions with his brother Kyle. In 2025, Busch was medically cleared to return to racing and competed in the 2025 Race of Champions, his first race since his 2022 concussion.
Personal Life
Kurt Busch was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He went to Durango High School and later studied pharmacy at the University of Arizona.
Busch is a big baseball fan and wants to visit every ballpark in the country. His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears. He also supports the Vegas Golden Knights.
Images for kids
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Busch's engine fails at the 2012 FedEx 400
See also
In Spanish: Kurt Busch para niños
