Kyle Busch (May 2, 1985 – May 21, 2026), nicknamed “Rowdy” for his love of the character Rowdy Burns, was an American professional stock car driver and racing team owner who raced from 2001 to 2026, most notably driving the No. 18 (for the NASCAR Cup Series), no. 51 (primarily for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) and no. 54 (for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and occasionally the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports between 2008 and 2023.
Busch previously competed 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 Motorsport. Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion.
Kyle Thomas Busch is widely recognized as one of the most experienced and gifted drivers in racing history, having dominated NASCAR’s top three division series. At the time of his death, he was eighth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list and first in total wins among the top three NASCAR divisions.
Among his many accomplishments, Busch was the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series winner, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winner of the 2015 and 2019 crowns, and was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers of 2023.
He is the recipient of multiple trophies, including two NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors and two ESPY Trophies for Best Driver.
In addition to auto racing, Busch temporarily held the WWE 24/7 Championship. Busch’s aggressive racing style and temperament earned him various nicknames throughout his career. In addition to his racing career, Busch owned and operated Kyle Busch Motorsports, a racing team that competed in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series from 2011 to 2013 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 2010 to 2023.
Biography of Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2, 1985, the second child of Thomas “Tom” and Gaya Busch, who were originally from Schaumburg, Illinois.
While working as a mechanic at a Ford dealership in Las Vegas, Tom was introduced to racing at a nearby short track by a work colleague. He eventually became a race car driver and won multiple championships in Las Vegas.
Busch followed a similar path, learning to race at age six by driving a hand-built go-kart around his family’s cul-de-sac.
Unable to reach the gas, his father controlled the gas pedal while Busch concentrated on steering and learning basic driving skills.
Growing up, he worked in the family garage alongside his father and older brother Kurt. At the age of ten, he was the crew chief for Kurt’s midget car team.
Busch began his driving career in 1998, just after he turned thirteen. Between 1999 and 2001, he won more than 65 Legends car races, including two championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. In 2001 he switched to late model racing, winning 10 races at the Bullring that season.
Busch began competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at age sixteen, taking over the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing after Nathan Hasele was fired midway through the 2001 season.
He made his racing debut at Indianapolis Raceway Park, finishing ninth overall. In his second race at Chicago Motor Speedway, he led until his truck ran out of gas with twelve laps remaining.
Career
Busch holds multiple NASCAR records, including the most wins in a single season in the top three series in the modern era (24 in 2010). He also holds the record for most wins in all three National Series, with 231 since April 12, 2024.
Busch set the Xfinity Series record for most wins in a season with thirteen in 2010 and now holds the overall record with 102 wins. He also has the most wins in the Truck Series (66).
Kyle Busch is the only driver in history to win 60 races in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 2019, he tied Morgan Shepherd’s record for most consecutive season-opening top ten finishes, with 11.
His win at Auto Club Speedway in 2023 gave him the record for most consecutive winning seasons, with nineteen, a streak that ended in 2024 with a winless season.
In 2005, Busch claimed NASCAR’s youngest Cup Series victory at California Speedway, at the age of nineteen years and 317 days. He was also the youngest driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2006. Busch became the first driver in Cup Series history to win both the race and the championship in a Toyota, winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2008 and winning the Cup championship in 2015.
He is the only driver to win four consecutive spring races at Richmond International Raceway from 2009 to 2012, and he also won the inaugural Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.
Busch won the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 at the Milwaukee Mile in July 2013, although the race was shortened due to darkness. He won every practice session, posted the fastest qualifying time and beat previous race champion Travis Sauter and NASCAR Truck Series regular Johnny Sauter in the 43-car field.
Kyle returned to the Snowball Derby in December 2025, winning a last-chance qualifying race before finishing 19th in the main event.
In 2023, Busch competed in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), with events at Motor Mile Speedway on July 27 and Berlin Raceway on August 3. At the Motor Mile, he battled with Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer for the win in the final laps before taking the checkered flag.
This made him one of only four drivers in SRX history to win their first race. The following week, Busch won again at Berlin Raceway, bringing his series record to 2-for-2.
On November 14, 2024, Busch revealed that he would run the Chili Bowl Nationals in January 2025. He finished third in the second F-event but did not qualify for the D-event as he finished fifteenth in the second F-event after starting at the back.
Awards
- Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2015, 2019)
- Two-time NASCAR Cup Series regular season winner (2018, 2019)
- 2009 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion
- Seven-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner champion (as owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports – 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
- WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time)
- Two-time winner of the ESPY Award for Best Driver (2016, 2019).
Wife of Kyle Busch
Busch married Samantha Sarcinella in Chicago on December 31, 2010. The wedding was featured in a one-hour special on the Esquire network. Sarcinella, born in St. John, Indiana, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Purdue University. The couple has two children, a son born in 2015 and a daughter born in 2022.
Polemics
On May 24, 2011, Busch was charged with 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 that he had “got carried away”.
On August 23, 2011, he pleaded guilty to speeding and was fined US$1,000, his driver’s license suspended for 45 days, 30 hours of community service, and one year of unsupervised probation.
Busch was ticketed on April 29, 2014 for going 60 mph (97 km/h) on NC 73 in Denver, North Carolina when the posted speed limit was 45 mph (72 km/h). He said he thought the speed limit was 55 mph (89 km/h).
On February 6, 2023, news reports indicated that Busch was detained in Cancún, Mexico in January for possession of a handgun. According to the prosecutor’s office, Busch was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a fine of 1,100 US dollars, but there is no information on how he will serve the sentence.
Busch later issued a statement apologizing for his lack of knowledge of Mexican law and saying he believed the situation had been resolved.
Death
On May 21, 2026, Busch was hospitalized with a sudden and severe illness, forcing him to withdraw from the planned 2026 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 and 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He died later that day, aged 41.
At the time of publication, the exact cause and nature of the disease were not revealed. Busch was previously diagnosed with a sinus cold during the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International on May 10. On May 16, he stated that he was still suffering from symptoms and classified his cough as “significant”.
Kyle Busch net worth
Kyle Busch net worth which at the time of his death was 80 million dollars. His wealth came from earnings, endorsements and other business ventures.
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