“Take a Bow” - Honoring the Legacy of Kyle Busch
- Adam Tropper
- 2 hours ago
- 24 min read
On May 21st, 2026, the NASCAR community shockingly lost a living legend. Kyle Busch, driver of the RCR #8 Chevrolet, unexpectedly passed away from a case of severe Pneumonia that progressed into Sepsis. Busch was only 41, and in the midst of his 22nd full-time Cup Series campaign. This devastating news comes as a shock to the entire industry, as Busch celebrated his 234th NASCAR National Series win (an all-time record) at Dover only six days prior to his death. In this retrospective, we will go through the life and career of Kyle Busch and celebrate a beloved figure who is simply gone too soon:
Personal Note:
I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to give my own thoughts on the matter before going any farther with this retrospective. I was born in 2001, not long after the NASCAR community lost Dale Earnhardt Sr. Although I was not around to directly compare, I assume this empty feeling is similar to what many race fans dealt with 25 years ago.
Growing up, when I first found out about NASCAR, I was a Jeff Gordon fan. Soon after, I started rooting for Jimmie Johnson as well, solidifying myself as part of the Hendrick fandom. However, there was always one driver that for some reason I couldn’t help but root for, even if he represented a different team, organization, and manufacturer. One of Busch’s nicknames was “The Candy Man” due to his 15-year-long affiliation with Mars Candy, and most notably its M&M’s brand. Like many kids I imagine, I was drawn towards the bright and colorful #18-car each week. On top of this, I was a big diecast collector, so I had every version of Kyle’s paint schemes you can imagine (and there were a lot of special schemes that made it into mass production). Plus, for my 13th birthday, my family and I spent a week in Charlotte to check out all the team headquarters and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. While we managed to visit almost every team shop, one that stuck out to me was KBM. Normally we wouldn’t stop for a team that only ran Trucks, but with Kyle Busch’s name being on the building, we weren’t going to miss that opportunity. It was almost closing time, so I remember we had a couple minutes in the lobby all to ourselves, and took pictures next to all the displays of race-won cars and trophies. I remember we bought an M&M's #18 jacket that I used to trick-or-treat for Halloween that year, actually.
Putting my fandom aside, I remember when I had my first big opportunity with Motorsports Today to cover a race on-site, that being Pocono Raceway in 2023. I, along with Eddie Kalegi and Tim Moore, pulled into the media parking lot Friday afternoon, and there were two driver appearances scheduled for media availability. One of them was none other than Kyle Busch. As I mentioned, I grew up with Jeff and Jimmie, so by default Busch was my only original favorite left racing. I was so nervous, but I knew I had to ask him a question, if anything just to say I spoke to him. It ended up being just before he beat out Corey Heim to take the 100th (and final) win in KBM’s history. I’m proud to say I’ve interacted with Kyle to some capacity in the media center each of the seven major race weekends I’ve covered thus far. There are many people who hate drivers like Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and more, but something I noticed very quickly was that the “villains” of the sport were really some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Maybe it helps that they’re all veterans of the sport now, but Busch was one of the few to give the new guy the time of day. He made sure I had the chance not only to speak to him, but to prove myself as someone who belongs in the industry. I’ll always be thankful for that.
“Wild Thing” - The Early Days:
While Kyle was dominating the late model ranks in his teens, his brother was making waves within NASCAR. Kurt Busch, known as “The Outlaw,” was a hot-headed driver with obvious raw talent. Most NASCAR fans already hated Kurt at this point, but his early success with Roush Racing was undeniable. By the time Kurt made it to the top of the NASCAR world, he made sure the industry knew what was coming, saying, “You think I’m a pretty good race car driver? Wait until you see my brother. He’s the best driver in the family,"
As early as the 2001 season, Kyle was ready to make Craftsman Truck Series starts as a Roush development driver. He competed in six races, but made headlines when he was barred from racing at California Speedway since he was only 16-years old and the race was sponsored by Marlboro Cigarettes. This actually forced NASCAR to adjust their eligibility requirements going forward, requiring drivers to be 18 years or older to compete (the first of many rule changes made as a result of Busch’s success).
After sitting out the 2002 season to meet the new age requirements, Busch made sporadic starts in the then-named Busch Series (pure coincidence) in 2003 with Hendrick Motorsports, before going full-time in NASCAR’s second-tier series in 2004. In his rookie campaign, he came in 2nd in the overall points standings, only behind Martin Truex Jr., another eventual Cup Series Champion and teammate of Busch. Busch managed to record 5 wins, 16 top 5s, 22 5 top 10s, and 5 poles. Busch would make the move up to the Nextel Cup Series for 2005, but this would not be anywhere near the end of "Rowdy’s" success in the lower series.
Now driving the #5 Kellogg's Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series, Busch ran a fairly inconsistent campaign (as expected for a rookie). However, he did show flashes of brilliance, highlighted by runner-up finishes at his home track (Las Vegas) plus both races at Dover. It was in race 25 of the season (and 31st of his career) where he broke through for his first Cup win at California Speedway (Auto Club). At the time, he became the youngest winner in Cup Series history at 20 years, 4 months, and 2 days (Joey Logano would later win at 19 years, 35 days). Busch then followed this up with a second win near the end of the year at Phoenix. Kyle’s rookie season ultimately ended with a 20th-place points position, with a total of 2 wins, 9 top 5s, and 10 top 10s.
Both 2006 and 2007 saw very similar stats. With one win apiece, Busch was seen as a “Chase” contender, but not someone who could lead Hendrick Motorsports like his teammates in Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. 2006 was fairly uneventful, but it was when he earned the “Rowdy” moniker as a result of a special Craftsman Truck Series paint scheme he ran.
The end of his Hendrick tenure throughout 2007 was very up-and-down, however. As mentioned, Busch notched a win at Bristol, which was also the 200th win for Hendrick and the first-ever race for the “Car of Tomorrow” (although Busch used his victory lane interview to trash the new car). The other notable incident occurred during that year’s All-Star race, in which he and his brother Kurt wrecked each other out while going for the win and the million-dollar prize. It’s been noted how the Busch brothers did not even talk to each other again until the end of the season (over 6 months later)! The drama led to a fallout between Kyle and his team, and a change of scenery was announced for the 2008 season and beyond. On a positive note, however, Busch finished out his three-season Hendrick tenure with a career-best 5th in the final Cup Series standings.
“Rise of the Candy Man” - Beginning Years at Joe Gibbs Racing:
For 2008, Kyle joined Joe Gibbs Racing, teaming up with Tony Stewart and fellow upcomer Denny Hamlin. Busch would be piloting the #18 Toyota Camry (Toyota joined NASCAR the year prior and was looking for a flagship team) with sponsorship from M&Ms and their parent brand Mars Inc. To say that this partnership started off strong would be an understatement, as in the 26-race regular season, Busch won a whopping eight races. This meant before the chase even began, Busch already won double his amount of career wins at Hendrick. Although he went into the chase as the points leader, a few bad races put him behind, and he ended up 10th in the final standings. It was a disappointing collapse to a great season but an incredible foundation to build on.
It should be acknowledged that the 2008 season solidified Kyle’s villain status that would follow him through the rest of his career. While Busch was already known as a hothead like his brother, an incident with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Richmond turned most of the NASCAR fanbase against him. Busch spun on Dale Jr. (who took his ride at Hendrick Motorsports) going for the win with a few laps to go. Ironically, neither would win as Clint Bowyer snuck through to steal the victory, but the damage was done, and Kyle definitely had no problem playing into this new persona.
The 2009 season saw Kyle regress in nearly every metric compared to the previous, as he missed the chase entirely and ended up 13th in points. Even so, this was far from a bad season. Busch still earned four victories, including his first (and only) at his downtown track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The key takeaway from 2009 actually involves his appearances in the lower series of NASCAR. Around this time, a certain number of Cup Series drivers (including Busch) made appearances in the Busch Series and Truck Series events each week in addition to their Cup responsibilities. This became known as “Buschwacking,” in reference to Busch Beer as the sponsor of the secondary series (Yes, this can be confusing). Specifically, Kyle Busch appeared in all 35 Busch Series races, with an incredible stat line of nine wins, 25 top 5s, 30 top 10s, and an average finish of 6.4. As a result, Busch won his first NASCAR National Series Championship to date, beating out fellow Cup Series star Carl Edwards.
The 2010s saw the peak of Busch’s accomplishments in NASCAR. Starting with 2010 itself, Busch saw the most success in the lower series, earning eight Truck Series wins and 13 Nationwide (previously Busch Series) wins. On top of this, Busch still recorded three victories in Cup and an 8th place finish in that year’s chase. In maybe his most impressive accomplishment of his entire career, Busch became the first driver to “sweep” all three NASCAR National Series races in one weekend. At Bristol, Busch managed to win the truck race Friday night, Nationwide on Saturday, and pulled off the trifecta with the win in Cup on Sunday. To this day, Busch is the only person to successfully complete the triple sweep (a feat that Busch would replicate at Bristol in 2017).
2011 saw a similar stat line in the Cup Series compared to the previous year, as he logged four wins, 14 top 5s, and 18 top 10s with a 13.0 average finish. On top of this, Busch earned six Truck Series wins and eight Nationwide wins. Unfortunately for Busch, the 2011 season would mainly be remembered for one specific controversy. In the Fall Truck Series event at Texas. While battling for the lead early in the race with Ron Hornaday, the two drivers made contact, which resulted in Busch intentionally wrecking Hornaday under caution. This was notable since the incident took Hornaday out of contention to win the Truck Series title, while it wasn’t even the main series for Kyle. NASCAR parked Busch the remainder of that weekend, and Kyle quietly finished off the last two races of the year with a 12th-place finish in the 2011 Chase, last of all eligible drivers.
Even with that rough end to the season, Busch made an immediate statement for 2012. During the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race at Daytona, Busch showed the world his “Wild Thing” side and delivered an incredible performance (in my personal opinion, one of the best single-race performances in NASCAR history). In the 82-lap showcase, Busch had two separate saves in which he was turned down onto the banking and managed to keep the car rolling straight. On top of this, he made a last-lap pass for the win over Tony Stewart, taking the victory by 0.013 seconds. However, this would be the high point of the entire year, as he only scored one win across all three national series during the year (Spring Richmond - Cup Series). This marked the first winless season for Busch in both Nationwide and Trucks in almost a decade (2003 and 2004, respectively).
"Rowdy" came back with a vengeance in 2013, posting career numbers in each of NASCAR’s top three series. Busch earned five Truck Series wins in 11 starts, and 12 Nationwide wins with an impressive average finish of 5.6 in 26 starts. On the Cup Series side, Busch adapted well to the Gen 6 car that was introduced this season. By the end of the year, Busch got four wins (one of which came in the form of an incredible last-lap pass at Auto Club), 16 top 5s, 22 top 10s (career-best), and an average finish of 12.7. This season culminated with a 4th place finish in the standings this year, his highest placement since 2007 (5th) and best of his JGR tenure thus far. If 2013 proved anything, it was that Kyle Busch was ready to become a consistent threat for the championship.
For 2014, Kyle’s “Buschwacking” strategy was starting to take its toll on the fanbase; if he was on the entry list for a race on either Friday or Saturday, he was most likely winning. In Trucks, He won seven races with nine top 5s in only 10 starts, and an average finish of 4.0. In Nationwide, he earned another seven victories. If that wasn’t impressive enough, however, he showed mind-blowing consistency, with 25 top 5s in 26 races and an insane average finish of 2.8. In the Cup Series, the path to a championship changed, as “the chase” format was being overhauled with “the playoffs,” an elimination bracket system that emphasized winning above all. Unfortunately for Kyle, he would only earn one win throughout the season, and posted lackluster statistics that haven’t been seen from him since his rookie year in 2005. Busch closed out the year 10th in standings, and the five-season partnership with Crew Chief Dave Rodgers came to an unceremonious end.
“Peak of the Candy Man” - Wins, Championships, and Unprecedented Success at JGR
The 2015 season was one of much anticipation for Busch and the #18 JGR Toyota, as Adam Stevens would be taking the helm as Kyle’s Crew Chief. However, the season looked to be over before it even started. The day before that year’s Daytona 500, Kyle was practicing in the Nationwide (now called Xfinity Series) event. Coming out of the tri-oval, he was involved in a multi-car wreck and slammed the inside barrier at almost full speed. Busch ended up suffering a double compound fracture in his right leg, along with a broken left foot. This would force him out of the racecar for over three months. After missing the first 11 races of the season, no one would blame a person for thinking any chance of Busch having a good season was over. What no one (except Busch himself along with his team) anticipated was one of the most legendary stretches in NASCAR history.
Due to the revised playoff format introduced the previous season, Busch was technically still eligible for the postseason, provided he could win at least one of the next 15 races and work his way into the top 30 in overall points standings. It took a few weeks to get settled back in, but at Sonoma Raceway, the tide turned. Even though he was still using a cane to walk at the time, Busch managed to break through and win at Sonoma Raceway, a technical road course that would put much more stress on his injuries than an oval. He even beat out his brother to do it, marking the race as the first 1-2 finish for the Busch Brothers in the Cup Series. Even with the win, Kyle was still over 100 points out of the top 30. After a solid race at Daytona, "Rowdy" did the unthinkable, winning three straight races (making it four of the last five). That stretch showcased his skill at a variety of track types, winning at Kentucky, New Hampshire, and then the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Interestingly enough, Busch almost won a 4th consecutive race, as he was leading heading into the final lap at Pocono, but ran out of fuel. It was the next weekend, race 22 of the season at Watkins Glen, when Busch officially moved into the top 30 in the points standings after posting a 2nd place finish. As a side note, his first child, Brexton, was born just before this incredible winning streak.
Busch ultimately locked himself a spot in the playoffs, and even though he didn’t win in any of the first three rounds, he did enough to make the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami. Competing against defending Cup Series Champ Kevin Harvick, underdog Martin Truex Jr., and legend Jeff Gordon in his final race, Busch would need to put up a championship-level performance. Which is exactly what he did; in a season that the entire industry wrote off, "Rowdy" shocked the world, taking his 5th win of the season and in the process securing his first Sprint Cup Series title. Only a few years prior, Busch simply would not have had the experience and maturity to overcome the odds, but turning 30 and becoming a Father created a perfect storm for Kyle to show the world what he’s made of. Then he never looked back.
2016 saw Busch and crew pick up right where they left off, immediately proving to be a title threat once again. In the first 11 races (ironically the stretch he missed the previous year), Busch posted 10 top 5s and three wins (Martinsville, Kansas, and Texas). Even though Busch would only win one more race in Cup the remainder of the year (a second consecutive Brickyard 400 victory), he stayed consistent enough to once again make the Championship 4. This time, however, he just didn’t have the pace. Jimmie Johnson won his record-tying 7th Championship while Busch earned a 3rd-place point finish for himself. On top of this, Busch recorded two Truck Series wins (in four starts) and 10 Xfinity wins (in 17 starts).
By 2017, “The Candy Man” was a perennial contender to win it all, and someone who could win literally anytime he got in a racecar. In an attempt to counteract this, NASCAR finally adjusted participation rules in the lower series to address the aforementioned “Buschwacking” issue. This meant Busch could still race in the lower series, but would be significantly limited. Regardless, he still managed to win three Truck races in seven attempts, and five Xfinity victories in 10 tries. On the Cup side, Busch posted similar numbers to his last two seasons, having a stat line of five victories, 14 top 5s, 22 top 10s, and an average finish of 11.5. This would be enough to make the Championship 4 for a 3rd straight year, but just like in 2016, he couldn’t get the job done. Busch would come runner-up (in both the race and final standings) to Martin Truex Jr. and his Furniture Row Racing #78 team.
2018 was arguably one of Kyle’s best year ever. Although he only saw victory lane once in Xfinity and twice in Trucks, his Cup Series season saw him either tie or outright beat his previous career-bests. As one of the “Big 3” drivers of the season (along with Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.), Busch would put up eight wins, 22 top 5s, 28 top 10s, an 8.3 average finish, and yet another Championship 4 appearance. This time at Homestead, it was the “Big 3” versus Joey Logano. Against everyone's expectations, Logano would go on to slay the giants of the season, with Busch coming in last of the group, finishing out the year in 4th place.
The 2019 season saw a similar pattern compared to the past few years, where Busch earned numerous Cup Series wins early in the season, fell off a bit, but still had the consistency to make a deep post-season run. There were some other highlights mixed in between, however. For starters, Busch kept his success in the lower series alive, winning in all five of his Truck Series attempts, and going four for seven in Xfinity. Additionally, his Cup win at Auto Club marked his 200th National Series Victory, tying Richard “The King” Petty for most all-time. Plus, later in the year at Kentucky, there would be another Battle of the Busch’s while going for the win. Kurt would take this one on a last-lap pass, evening up the score on 1-2 finishes from when Kyle beat Kurt at Sonoma four years earlier.
As mentioned, "Rowdy" didn’t win throughout most of the playoffs, but managed to make the Championship 4 again. That marked his 5th consecutive appearance in the final round, something only accomplished by Busch. It would also set the mark for most Championship 4 appearances (until Joey Logano made it for the 6th time in 2024). This was a year that was dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing, as he, along with teammates Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Erik Jones combined for 19 wins in the 36-race season. The Championship race at Homestead-Miami pitted three of these JGR teammates (Busch, Hamlin, Truex) against one another, plus Kevin Harvick. When it was all said and done, Kyle Busch, Adam Stevens, and the entire JGR #18 Toyota crew walked away with their 2nd Cup Series Championship! This season concluded one of the greatest five-year stretches in Cup Series history, walking away with two championships, 27 victories, and a lowest points placement of 4th between 2015 and 2019.
The 2020 season was bizarre for a multitude of reasons, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the delays that came with it. After four races, the season was suspended indefinitely, and took over two months to resume. This led to massive scheduling overhauls, with fewer tracks on the circuit, mid-week races, and more. Notably for Busch was the lack of proper practice and qualifying sessions. As a safety measure to mitigate the amount of personnel needed at the track (and in later seasons as a cost-saving expense), lineups were set using a metric that utilized various factors. The problem was Busch was known for getting the most out of his seat time, making practice essential for him and his team to be able to make proper adjustments before the main race. This was something Busch would publicly state had caused him trouble in terms of performance, so much so that his streak of consecutive seasons with a win in the Cup Series (at this point, 15 seasons) was in danger. It wasn’t until the 33rd race of the season at Texas when Kyle won the race using his veteran experience and fuel-saving ability to keep his streak alive. At the end of the year, Busch would end up 8th in the points standings and miss the Championship 4 for the first time since 2014. This season also marked the end of the Crew Chief pairing with Adam Stevens, as Ben Beshore would take over that responsibility for 2021. Just like that, a dynasty was over, but there was still hope for future success.
As a side note, even with the COVID-impacted schedules, Busch still made his scheduled starts in the lower series. While only winning once in Xfinity, his seven-race win streak in Trucks (dating back to the previous year) caused a “bounty” challenge to be placed. Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World, the title sponsor of the Truck Series at the time, offered $100k to any Cup Series regular who would go race against Kyle in a truck and beat him. It was eventually Chase Elliott who took down Busch and secured the “bounty,” but this marketing stunt proved to everyone that Kyle’s still got it, even with a rough year for his standards in Cup.
For the 2021 season, things were starting to get back to normal, although practice and qualifying sessions were still heavily limited in terms of time allotted. Busch won two Truck Series events, and went five-for-five in his Xfinity attempts. What’s notable here was that Kyle stated on multiple occasions that when he reached 100 wins in Xfinity, he’d stop competing in that series. As the wins continued and he got closer to the milestone, there was anticipation among the fanbase as to where he’d get it done. The answer would be at Nashville Superspeedway, a track in which Busch drew controversy over a decade earlier for smashing the guitar-shaped trophy in victory lane. Even though the 100 milestone was reached, he fulfilled his original commitment to running five Xfinity events that season, and won both. He would ultimately make a few more sporadic Xfinity Series starts in 2023 and 2024, but would end with 102 victories in the series, more than double the next in line (49 wins, Mark Martin). In Cup, Busch saw a slight improvement. He earned two victories and managed to finish 9th in points, but for his expectations, it still wasn’t great. The true highlight that year came at Kansas, where on his birthday, he won the “Buschy McBusch Race 400” (Not a joke). Ironically, as the result of a fan naming contest by race sponsor Busch Beer, Kyle inadvertently gave the NASCAR community a pretty funny asterisk in history books.
2022 saw the debut of NASCAR’s new “Next Gen” racecar, which was meant to even the playing field and create more parity among the Cup Series Field. These cars race similar to a sports car, and a seasoned veteran in Busch struggled to adapt. He did manage to win once, keeping his consecutive seasons streak of winning alive. He did this in the Bristol Dirt Race, stealing the win on the final lap after Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe wrecked going for the win. Although the Dirt configuration made for a different style of racing, it was his 8th Cup Series win at the venue, and 23rd across all three National series (most of any track). Busch would end the season 13th in points, the first time he would place outside the top ten since the 2012 season. Additionally, Mars Inc. announced they were leaving NASCAR earlier in the year, and Kyle was in a contract year. This meant JGR had to scramble in order to find a major corporation that would sponsor the #18 machine and allow Busch to re-sign with the team. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition, and Kyle announced he’d be moving to Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to drive the #8 Chevrolet. After 15 years, two Championships, and over 100 wins across all series, the fabled “Candy Man” era with Joe Gibbs and Toyota came to an end.
“Hated to Hero” - RCR/Modern Day:
For the past 15 years, Busch was synonymous with JGR, Toyota, and success. It was going to take some getting used to having Kyle back in the Chevy camp, and in the #8 instead of the #18. To add to the irony, Busch would now be driving for the same team owner he infamously got into a brawl with back in 2011! Now, “Rowdy” was tasked with taking a struggling team back to the top of the NASCAR world. Right from the start, that looked to be the case. During the Daytona 500, Busch was in prime position to finally take the “Great American Race.” However, a wreck with two to go while leading forced an overtime restart, in which Busch would get caught up in the next wreck and finished 19th. Even with the disappointment, Busch looked ahead to the next week and managed to win at Auto Club (at what would be the venue’s last Cup Series race). In only the 2nd race with his new team, “Rowdy” proved he could win regardless of the team.
Busch wouldn’t stop there, winning again at Talladega, then for a 3rd time that season at Gateway. The Gateway win, which occurred exactly three years ago at the time of writing (6/4), would end up being the 63rd and final Cup Series victory of Busch’s illustrious career. Busch would go on to make the playoffs and end the season 14th in the points standings, only one spot behind his placement the previous year. As a side note, in the Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway, Busch would make a last-lap pass on Corey Heim for the win in what became the 100th (and final) victory for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Unfortunately, RCR continued to struggle as an organization throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. This, on top of the fact that Busch was still adapting to the different driving style required to maneuver the Next Gen car. While Busch did score two runner-up finishes in 2024 just before the playoffs, he’d suffer the first winless season of his Cup career. His now record streak of 19 straight seasons with a Cup Series victory (previously 18 held by Richard Petty) finally came to an end in year 20. 2025 saw a similar story play out, as Busch couldn’t get back to victory lane. Busch would spend his final two full-time seasons in 20th and 21st in the points standings, respectively.
Finally, we’ve reached 2026. On the Cup Series side, he managed to win the pole for the “Daytona 500,” but that would be the high point of the year. In the 12 races he competed, he only logged two top 10 finishes (including a season best 8th in his final points race at Watkins Glen). Even with the continued struggles with RCR, Busch made it known that he still had what it took to compete in NASCAR at a winning level, as in the Truck Series he managed to win twice in four starts. At Dover in May, Busch would take his 69th (and final) victory in the Truck Series. Afterwards, he even told our own Tim Moore, “Take whatever you can get, because you never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all, trust me.” Unfortunately, those words are now truer than anyone could’ve ever imagined, but it reminds us all how precious each moment in life truly is.
“Not Just a Driver” - Success Running KBM:
It’s important to mention that even with such an impressive resume behind the wheel, the emergence of Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is just as impressive. The team primarily competed in the Truck Series, while occasionally attempting Nationwide Series races in the early 2010s. KBM was known for excellence, and any driver would be expected to compete for victories and championships in his equipment. While many of the actual team accolades came from Kyle himself, Busch’s eye for rising talent helped launch the careers of numerous Cup Series drivers that ended up racing against Busch on a weekly basis. This stacked list includes: William Byron, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, and Corey Heim.
Overall, KBM earned one Nationwide Series win, six ARCA wins, and exactly 100 Truck Series wins, with three Truck championships to go with it. At the end of the 2023 season, Busch sold off KBM’s assets to Spire Motorsports, who now operate out of the old KBM shop. Kyle continued to drive for Spire when making his sporadic Truck Series starts, all the way until what would be his final Truck race at Dover in May 2026. This was Busch’s aforementioned 69th Truck win.
Meanwhile, Spire Motorsports has proven to be a force to be reckoned with not only in the Truck Series, but also in Cup. With emerging talent Carson Hocevar, along with Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell, Spire already has two Cup wins this season, and two cars in the top ten in standings (Hocevar and Suarez) as of this writing. Adding to their continued Truck Series success (which includes Busch’s victories), Spire’s success (at least in part) can be directly linked to what Kyle built.
“Untouchable” - Notable Records:
Throughout this retrospective, it’s clear that Kyle Busch was a once-in-a-generation talent. Many of his achievements have already been discussed above, but I also wanted to highlight some other key stats that would simply not be believable if it wasn’t true (all statistics courtesy of NASCAR Media unless otherwise noted):
234 wins across NASCAR’s three National Series
Swept both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race and the Cup Series race a record 12 times
Only driver to win in Trucks, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup Series in the same weekend
Winningest driver of the decade between 2010-2019 with 40 wins
63 wins came on 25 different tracks
Top 10 in Cup Series history in the following statistics.
63 wins (9th)
254 top-5s (9th)
394 top-10s (7th)
19,485 laps led (9th)
All-time leader in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in the following statistics:
102 wins
70 poles
54 runner-ups
226 top-fives
20,129 laps led
19 straight seasons with a win is the Cup Series record
2018 Coca-Cola 600 win made him the first driver to win on every track he competed on with his win at Charlotte (additional tracks were added afterward that he never won on)
Swept both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race and the Cup Series race a record 12 times
Only driver to win in Trucks, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup Series in the same weekend (Bristol in 8/10 and 8/17)
39 of his 102 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins came from pole
Led 31% of all laps he raced in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
38% win percentage in Trucks (69 wins in 184 starts)
Only driver to win at least five straight Truck starts more than once (three times)
47,968 – Combined Laps Led in NASCAR’s Three National Series (frontstrech.com)
“So Much More” - Outside Endeavors:
Outside of his racing endeavors, Busch managed to have his hands in other notable projects. One of his more prominent business ventures, for example, was creating a signature energy drink, “Rowdy Energy.” For four years, “Rowdy Energy” could be found on the shelves of most major convenience stores in the U.S, as the drink was advertised to be a healthier option compared to the other major energy drink brands (side note - the Cotton Candy flavor was great!).
In terms of his non-profit footprint, the Bundle of Joy Fund needs to be acknowledged. Run by both Kyle and his wife, Samantha, the organization helps couples fund IVF treatments for couples struggling with infertility. This is a cause they were both incredibly passionate about, as they have spoken in length about their own infertility struggles when looking to have their first child. Over $2.3 million has been donated to the cause since its inception in 2015, providing 178 grants that resulted in 111 births thus far.
As highlighted throughout this article, Kyle and his wife Samantha have two children. His son, Brexton, is 11 years old, while his daughter, Lennix, is 4 years old. Busch was happiest when he was with his children. This could easily be seen with how much Kyle has invested into Brexton’s aspiring racing career, helping his son every step of the way. Brexton already has a developmental contract with RCR in NASCAR when he is old enough. Plus, Richard Childress himself stated that, effective immediately, the #8 will be suspended in the Cup Series and will only be brought back for Brexton when he is ready to take it over.
Remembering Rowdy - Lasting Legacy:
"Rowdy" was truly one of a kind, being loved (and hated) by so many simultaneously. He was a showman, and had no problem playing into the boos. Maybe that’s because he had Rowdy Nation behind him, or maybe it was his family that kept him grounded in the latter half of his career. It’s safe to say any motorsport fans will remember the name Kyle Busch for a long time; Busch broke countless records, and even more that will frankly never be beaten by anyone else. Simply put, there’s no doubt he’ll be seen by future generations as the Dale Earnhardt of his era.
Busch’s impact on the sport was felt by many, as competitors, team owners, sponsors, and others made public statements speaking on their relationship with Busch. Even some of his biggest rivals, such as Brad Keselowski, gave his perspective on how their relationship evolved up until his death. Kyle Larson, after winning a dirt race in the High Limit Racing League, announced he was donating his prize money to the Bundle of Joy Fund, Busch’s foundation. Additionally, NASCAR has been paying silent tributes on the 8th lap of each NASCAR-sanctioned race in honor of Busch. Plus, during the Indianapolis 500, there was a similar tribute on the 18th lap. Longtime fans of “Rowdy” created a memorial site outside the RCR race shop, which included diecast cars, M&Ms, and more. Most recently, on June 2nd, a private memorial was held for the friends and family of Kyle, with plans for a public memorial to take place in the near future.
In writing this piece, it took a while to compile all my thoughts regarding the news, and at times I struggled to figure out the best way I could honor Kyle’s legacy. It eventually dawned on me how the best way to honor him is simply to never lose our love of racing. That’s what drove Kyle to get in the racecar at the highest level of competition each week for the better part of two decades. The racing industry will still move on, but always with heavy hearts carrying the memories Kyle gave us. I genuinely hope Kyle Busch is taking one more victory bow up in the sky, looking down at the impact he made on the sport he loved so much.
