Kyle Busch: The life and career of a NASCAR legend

Kyle Busch is a multiple NASCAR Cup Series champion and veteran of the series having competed in over 650 races across a two-decade span.

Born on May 2, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch is considered one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever.

His parents – Tom and Gaye Busch also have another son – Kurt, who is also a NASCAR Cup Series champion and competed alongside his brother.

Kyle was the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion and was also the first driver to win on every track that he had competed on in the championship.

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What has Kyle Busch achieved?

Aged just six, Kyle used to drive around his neighborhood in a makeshift go-kart and despite not being able to push the pedal all the way down, managed to learn the basics from his father.

It wasn’t until 1998, aged 13, that his racing career began, but when he started, he took off in rapid fashion, winning 65 races and two championships between 1999 and 2001 in legends car racing.

At the tender age of just 16, Busch made his NASCAR debut in the Craftsman Truck Series, finishing ninth in his maiden appearance.

His Cup Series debut came at the Carquest Auto Parts 300 in 2003, but he didn’t become a full-time driver in the championship until 2005.

He became the youngest pole winner at the California Speedway aged just 19 in 2005, but perhaps most impressively – he holds the records for most NASCAR victories in a single year with 24 in 2010.

To this day, he has 63 victories from nearly 700 race starts, claiming five each of those in his championship winning seasons of 2015 and 2019.

Busch flirted with the idea of driving in Formula 1 but decided against doing so when approached by the US F1 team – who failed to ever compete in a race due to economic issues.

The closest he came to testing F1 machinery came in 2008, when he was scheduled to drive a Toyota, but was forced to attend the Nationwide Series Banquet instead.

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Has Kyle Busch been in trouble?

In May 2011, Busch was cited for reckless driving in North Carolina, after driving 128mph in a 45mph zone.

He subsequently claimed that he ‘got carried away’ test driving a Lexus LFA and was handed a $1,000 fine, having his license suspended for 45 days and being ordered to serve 30 hours of community service after pleading guilty to speeding.

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Is Kyle Busch married?

Kyle Busch married Purdue University Psychology graduate Samantha Sarcinella in December 2010.

The pair have two children together – a son called Brexton and a daughter called Lennix.

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