Kyle Busch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kyle Busch |
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Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
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| Born | Kyle Thomas Busch May 2, 1985 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||
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| Awards |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 714 races run over 21 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 8 (Richard Childress Racing) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 20th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2015, 2019) | ||||||
| First race | 2004 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (Las Vegas) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2005 Sony HD 500 (Fontana) | ||||||
| Last win | 2023 Enjoy Illinois 300 (Gateway) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 367 races run over 21 years | |||||||
| 2024 position | 88th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2009) | ||||||
| First race | 2003 Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 BetMGM 300 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| First win | 2004 Funai 250 (Richmond) | ||||||
| Last win | 2021 Credit Karma Money 250 (Atlanta) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 175 races run over 22 years | |||||||
| 2024 position | 79th | ||||||
| Best finish | 14th (2008, 2010) | ||||||
| First race | 2001 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Buckle Up South Carolina 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
| First win | 2005 Quaker Steak and Lube 200 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 SpeedyCash.com 250 (Texas) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of November 10, 2024. | |||||||
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 8 Chevrolet ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing.
Kyle is a very successful racer. He won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2009. He is also a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning in 2015 and 2019. He is known for being one of the best drivers of his time. He has won many races across NASCAR's three main series. Kyle even briefly held a wrestling title, the WWE 24/7 Championship! His older brother, Kurt Busch, also won a NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2004.
Kyle used to own his own race team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. This team competed in the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series. He is known for his strong and daring driving style. People sometimes call him "Rowdy" or "Wild Thing".
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Early Life and Racing Beginnings
Kyle Busch grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He started racing at age six in a small go-kart. His dad helped him learn by controlling the gas pedal. As he got older, Kyle worked with his dad and brother, Kurt, in their garage. By age ten, he was even the "crew chief" for his brother's race car.
Kyle began his driving career in 1998, when he was 13. From 1999 to 2001, he won over 65 races in legends car racing. He also won two championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Later, he moved on to racing late model cars. He won ten races in late model cars in 2001.
Starting in NASCAR Trucks
At 16, Kyle started racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He drove the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing. In his first race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, he finished ninth. In his second race, he was leading but ran out of fuel.
However, NASCAR changed its rules in 2002. They made a new rule that drivers had to be at least 18 years old to race. This was partly because some races had sponsors from tobacco companies. Since Kyle was under 18, he had to switch to another racing series called the American Speed Association (ASA) National Tour. He finished eighth in points there.
In 2002, Kyle finished high school early with good grades. He wanted to focus completely on his racing career. That same year, he raced in the ARCA RE/MAX Series for the first time.
Kyle Busch's NASCAR Career Highlights
Kyle Busch holds many impressive NASCAR records. In 2010, he won 24 races across NASCAR's top three series. This was the most wins in a single season in the modern era. He also has the most wins ever in all three national series combined, with 231 victories as of April 2024.
He holds the record for most wins in the Xfinity Series with 102 victories. He also has the most wins in the Truck Series with 66. Kyle is the only driver to have won at least 60 races in each of NASCAR's top three series.
Breaking Records and Making History
At 19 years old, Kyle became NASCAR's youngest ever driver to win a pole position in a Cup Series race. This happened at California Speedway in 2005. He was also the youngest driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2006.
Kyle made history as the first driver to win a race and a championship in a Toyota in the Cup Series. He won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2008 and the 2015 Cup championship. He is also the only driver to win four races in a row at Richmond International Raceway from 2009 to 2012. He won the first-ever Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.
Kyle began his NASCAR career in 2003. He is one of only six drivers to win championships in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. In 2005, he became one of the few drivers to win a race in all three of NASCAR's national series. In 2009, he was the first driver to win two top NASCAR races on the same day. This happened at Auto Club Speedway. In 2010, he was the first to win races in all three series in the same weekend at Bristol. He did this again at Bristol in 2017.
Kyle has won on his birthday twice! He won at Richmond International Raceway on his 24th birthday in 2009. Then, 12 years later, he won at Kansas Speedway on his 36th birthday. Only one other driver, Cale Yarborough, has done this.
In 2010, Kyle Busch's own team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, had an amazing first year. They won the Truck Series owners' championship. They had eight wins, 16 top-five finishes, and 21 top-ten finishes.
As of 2022, Kyle holds the record for leading the most laps in the Daytona 500 race without ever winning it. He has led 324 laps in total.
In 2022, Kyle announced he would join Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023. This was after his longtime sponsor, M&M's/Mars, decided to leave NASCAR.
Late Model Racing Adventures
Kyle Busch also loves to race late model stock cars in smaller, regional events. He often uses his own Kyle Busch Motorsports cars for these races.
One of his biggest wins was in December 2009. He won the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Florida. He won this race again in 2017.
In July 2011, Kyle won the 32nd annual Slinger Nationals in Wisconsin. Two weeks later, he won the 38th annual TD Bank 250 in Maine. This is New England's biggest short-track race. Kyle was only the second active NASCAR Cup Series driver to win it. He said it felt "great" to win a race he had always wanted to. He even won another race the night before, sweeping the weekend!
In June 2012, Kyle won the eighth annual Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway. He beat fellow driver Tony Stewart in this special all-star event.
In July 2013, Kyle dominated the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 at the Milwaukee Mile. He led every practice, set the fastest qualifying time, and won the race.
Other Racing Experiences
Kyle Busch was once considered to drive for a US-based Formula One team, US F1. However, he turned down the offer because the timing wasn't right. The team later closed down.
In 2020, Kyle raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona. This is a very long endurance race. He drove a Lexus RC F GT3 car and helped his team finish ninth in their class.
In November 2021, Kyle was invited to race in Nitrocross. This is a rallycross series started by former NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana. Kyle finished fourth in the main race.
In 2023, Kyle competed in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series. He raced at Motor Mile Speedway and Berlin Raceway. He won both races he entered, becoming one of only four drivers to win in their first SRX race!
Kyle also announced in 2024 that he would race in the Chili Bowl Nationals in January 2025. This is a famous indoor midget car race.
Personal Life
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Kyle Busch married Samantha Sarcinella on December 31, 2010. Their wedding was even shown on TV! Samantha studied psychology at Purdue University. Kyle and Samantha have two children, a son born in 2015 and a daughter born in 2022.
Helping Others: Charity Work
In 2006, Kyle started the Kyle Busch Foundation. This foundation helps children in need across the country. In 2008, he also created the "Kyle's Miles" program with Pedigree. This program helps dogs in animal shelters.
After winning his first Cup Series race in 2005, Kyle and his team owner, Rick Hendrick, donated their winnings. They gave the money to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Kyle announced this donation on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and many people praised him for it.
Kyle Busch in Popular Media
Kyle Busch has appeared in many video games. He is on the cover of NASCAR Kart Racing and NASCAR Heat 2. You can also play as him in Forza Motorsport 6. He even provides commentary in the game.
He made a small appearance in the 2017 movie Logan Lucky. He played a West Virginia state trooper. That same year, he was a contestant on The $100,000 Pyramid TV show. From 2019, Kyle and his wife starred in the reality TV show Racing Wives on CMT. In 2022, a documentary called Rowdy was released. It was all about Kyle Busch's NASCAR career.
Kyle is a big fan of professional wrestling. He has appeared on WWE shows several times. In 2019, he even briefly won the WWE 24/7 Championship! He pinned R-Truth to win the title, with NASCAR's Michael Waltrip as the referee. R-Truth later won the title back.
Rowdy Energy Drink
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| Private | |
| Industry | Drink industry |
| Founded | January 30, 2019 in Del Mar, California, U.S. |
| Founders | Kyle Busch Jeff Church |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Headquarters |
San Diego, California
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| Products | Energy drink |
| Owners | Kyle Busch Jeff Church |
| Parent | Rowdy Beverage, Inc |
Rowdy Energy was an energy drink company started by Kyle Busch and Jeff Church in 2019. The company was based in California.
The drink was named after Kyle's nickname, "Rowdy." Kyle created it because he wanted a healthier energy drink for himself and his fans. The first drinks were made in January 2020. They had ten different flavors, and seven of them were sugar-free. The regular drinks had 60% less sugar than other popular energy drinks.
You could see Rowdy Energy branding at races. Kyle wore a Rowdy Energy hat and drank the drink after races. The logo was even on his helmet for the 2020 Daytona 500. Rowdy Energy also sponsored other drivers and races.
Sadly, on January 10, 2024, Kyle Busch announced that Rowdy Energy had closed down.
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)
Images for kids
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Kyle Busch Fast Qualifier at 2012 Slinger Nations.jpg
Busch after winning the pole position for the 2012 Slinger Nationals
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Busch racing at Williams Grove Speedway in 2009
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Busch and his wife Samantha in April 2013
See also
In Spanish: Kyle Busch para niños
- 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
