Kyle Thomas Busch (May 2, 1985 – May 21, 2026), nicknamed "Rowdy", was an American professional stock car racing driver and racing team owner who competed from 2001 until his death in 2026. Throughout his career, Busch raced under several car numbers, though he was most prominently identified with the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing between 2008 and 2022 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Known for his dominance across NASCAR's top three divisions, Busch is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and talented drivers in motorsports history.
Born and raised into a racing family in Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch was immersed in motorsports at an early age, assisting with race car preparations as a child before progressing into competitive driving in go-karts and short-track racing during his adolescence. By his early teens, he had already established himself as a standout talent on the local circuit, capturing multiple championships and attracting the attention of stock car organizations. He made his national NASCAR debut in 2001 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Roush Racing. Two years later, he joined Hendrick Motorsports through their driver development program, eventually advancing into NASCAR's major touring series. He remained with the organization through the 2007 season before signing with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, where he competed and achieved the most successful stretch of his career over a fifteen-year tenure. In 2023, he joined Richard Childress Racing, competing for the organization until his death in 2026.
At the time of his death, Busch ranked ninth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list and first in overall wins between the top three NASCAR divisions. His career achievements included three major national series championships, having won the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series and two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2015 and 2019). He also amassed victories in several important races, highlighted by four crown jewel events, and was the recipient of numerous awards. His aggressive driving style and demeanor led to him earning several nicknames over the course of his career.
In addition to his driving career, Busch owned and operated Kyle Busch Motorsports, a stock car racing team that competed in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series from 2011 to 2013 and the Truck Series from 2010 to 2023. Busch was the younger brother of 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
Busch was born on May 2, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the second child of Tom and Gaye Busch, who were originally from Schaumburg, Illinois. Tom, then working as a mechanic at a Ford dealership in Las Vegas, was introduced to racing by a colleague at a local short track. He later became a stock car driver himself, winning several championships in the area. Busch followed a similar path; he was introduced to racing at age six, driving a makeshift go-kart around the cul-de-sac in his family's neighborhood. Because he could not reach the throttle, his father operated the gas pedal while Busch focused on steering and learning basic driving skills. He began working in the family garage with his father and older brother Kurt, and by age 10 he was serving as crew chief for Kurt's dwarf car team. At age thirteen, Busch began his career in 1998, and from 1999 to 2001, he won over 65 races in legends car racing, claiming two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. In 2001, he transitioned to late model racing, securing 10 victories at the Bullring that season.
At the age of sixteen, Busch began competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing, replacing the released Nathan Haseleu midway through the 2001 season. He debuted at Indianapolis Raceway Park, finishing an impressive ninth in his first race. In his second race at Chicago Motor Speedway, he led until his truck ran out of fuel with twelve laps remaining. Busch was fastest in practice for the 2001 Auto Club 200 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, but not yet 18, was ruled ineligible to compete under the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Tim Woods III replaced Busch in the No. 99 Ford and finished 25th. Six weeks after the Fontana incident, NASCAR implemented a minimum age requirement of eighteen, starting in 2002, to prevent similar incidents.
Busch transitioned from NASCAR to the American Speed Association National Tour, where he finished 8th in the standings. He competed in six Truck Series races in 2001, with two ninth-place finishes at IRP and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In 2002, Busch graduated early with honors from Durango High School in Spring Valley, to focus on his racing career. That same year, he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, finishing twelfth in the No. 22 Chevrolet for WP Motorsports.
Busch established himself as one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history, holding numerous records across the sport's top divisions. In 2010, he set the modern-era record for most combined victories in a single season in NASCAR's three premier series with 24 wins. He also holds the all-time record for career wins in the national series with 234 victories. Busch set the record for most wins in a season in the Xfinity Series with thirteen in 2010, and holds the overall record with 102 wins. He also has the most wins in the Truck Series with 69. Busch is the only driver in history to have at least 60 career wins in each of NASCAR's top three series. In 2019, he tied the record for consecutive top-ten finishes to start a season, matching Morgan Shepherd's streak of 11. His victory at Auto Club Speedway in 2023 made him the record holder for most consecutive seasons with a win, at nineteen, a streak that ended in 2024 with a winless season.
Just shy of age 20, Busch became NASCAR's youngest-ever pole winner in a Cup Series race at California Speedway in 2005. He also became the youngest driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2006. Busch made history as the first driver to win a race and a championship in a Toyota in the Cup Series, claiming victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2008 and securing the 2015 Cup championship. He is the only driver to win four consecutive spring races at Richmond International Raceway (2009–2012) and was the inaugural winner of the first Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.
Busch, who began his NASCAR career in 2003, is one of only six drivers to have won championships in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. In 2005, he became the 14th of just 36 drivers to win a race in each of NASCAR's three national series. In 2009, Busch made history as the first driver to win two top-tier NASCAR races on the same day at Auto Club Speedway. In 2010, he became the first driver to win races in all three of NASCAR's top series in the same weekend at Bristol, a feat he repeated at the same track in 2017.
Busch made history by winning the 2009 Crown Royal Presents the Russell Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway on his 24th birthday, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to win on their birthday. Twelve years later, on his 36th birthday, he captured victory again in the Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway, joining Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to win on their birthday twice. In 2010, Kyle Busch Motorsports made an impressive debut, becoming the first Truck Series organization to win the owners' championship in its inaugural season, recording eight wins, 16 top-five finishes, and 21 top-ten finishes.
As of the completion of the 2022 Daytona 500, Busch holds the record for the most lifetime laps led in the history of the race, leading 324 laps, without ever securing a victory in the event.
In December 2021, M&M's/Mars announced it would end its primary sponsorship with Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing after the 2022 season. On September 13, 2022, Busch revealed he had signed a multi-year contract with Richard Childress Racing, beginning in 2023.
The 2026 Go Bowling at The Glen on May 10 marked Busch's final Cup race, where he finished eighth. The Ecosave 200 truck race on May 15 was his final NASCAR win. On May 21, he withdrew from the entry list for the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 due to hospitalization with a severe illness, and died later that day.