Kyle Busch blames his wife, but his explanation tells a different story.
COVID was keeping families in tight quarters at home in 2020 when Samantha Busch suggested to her husband that he and son Brexton might want to get out of the house more to give her a break.
The winner of 239 NASCAR races in the three series made a decision and took Brexton, then 5 years old, to a go-kart track.
“We had no intention of getting him into it that early,” Kyle Busch said. “I thought it was too early, but momma said, ‘Hey, you guys are driving me nuts. Get out of the house and find something to do.’ There wasn’t much happening at the time, but go-kart tracks were still open. We were able to see if he wanted to try it.”
Busch is now as likely to be found at a small, rural track with Brexton and his family as he is at places like World Wide Technology Raceway, where he’ll defend his championship Sunday in the Enjoy Illinois 300.
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Brexton Busch, who is now 9, is making a name for himself on the racing circuit and not just because of his name. He is winning and being shepherded by his successful father.
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Driver Kyle Busch, right, gives autographs before the NASCAR Cup Series race on May 5, 2024, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
Before driving at WWTR this weekend, Kyle and Brexton had plans to race at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon, Ill. Last year they were at Tri-City Raceway in Granite City before the NASCAR race after a rather slow entry into the sport.
“We were burning gasoline and making circles to start,” Busch said. “We weren’t doing a whole lot, but once it clicked he’s enjoyed it since. It’s been really good with him winning and going around the country, racing against some of the top kids. He’s always right there. A lot of times he’s the youngest in his class. That builds his confidence and character a little quicker.”
Reminders of his age surround Brexton, from the dinosaur incorporated in his personal logo to social media posts about a paintball-themed birthday party.
Kyle Busch didn’t start racing until he was 13. Now 39, he has two Cup championships to his name along with one Xfinity championship. His last race win was in 2023 at WWTR.
Busch has shared in many wins with Brexton along the way, but he’d like to get back on track himself Sunday to improve on his 14th-place standing.
“Coming to (WWTR) has been fun,” he said. “For whatever reason, I ran well there in Xfinity and won in 2009, and then I finished second the first year of this race. I enjoy the track. I hope we can come with the same speed and go after a win.”
In five races at the track, Busch never has finished worse than eighth. Fortunately for the competition, he never has run a truck race at WWTR because he has won 38% of his starts in that series.
His success rate here looks like Brexton’s list of finishes among the leaders. While the young Busch has succeeded with dad’s tutelage, he’s taken on some responsibilities beyond his years. He has sponsorships and handles media requests.
Samantha Busch handles her son’s social media posts. In fact, Kyle Busch said, Brexton does not have a cell phone yet.
“He’s probably better now than I was at 13,” Busch said. “He has great sponsors behind him. He enjoys it. I talk to him about the sponsor aspect, the media aspect and how you can have friends at the track, but on the track it’s hard to have friends.”
Kyle Busch makes as many of the races as he can but often finds himself seeking streaming services where he can watch. He’ll send texts as he watches to offer advice. He has spent some races on the radio with Brexton.
As with his own experiences, Kyle Busch sees things transpire with his son that raise his ire. One such incident, he said, came recently when a competitor was door handle to door handle with Brexton and pushed him into the wall.
Busch has seen his share of similar incidents, such as two weeks ago in a tangle with Ricky Stenhouse. After an early-race confrontation that saw Busch hit the wall, he bumped Stenhouse, who ended up in the wall and then in Busch’s face afterward.
Stenhouse threw a punch and the ensuing skirmish with various team members was seen by millions. Those are the type of things he doesn’t yet discuss with Brexton but knows will eventually become part of the racing education.
“He’s asked some questions, and his mom was in the car at the time,” Busch said. “She said, ‘You don’t need to know about that or be involved.’ We’ll eventually get to it.”