IN RAREFIED AIR,
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BUSCH’S SUCCESS ON By Alex Apple
OFF THE
Kyle Busch’s personality on the track has long matched his hometown. Having nicknames that span from “Rowdy,” to, “Wild Thing,” to, “Candy Man,” speak to the many facets of Busch’s riding style, much like his eclectic hometown, Las Vegas.
Twenty-eight years after he learned to drive around his family’s cul-de-sac, Busch is on top of the racing world. His racing career officially began in 1998 when he was 13 years old. His dominance started early as he captured more than 65 races in legends car racing, achieving early success at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing took home the 2019 Championship, adding another illustrious chapter to what is quickly becoming a storied career.
He would move on to late models and then the Craftsman Truck Series when he drove the No. 99 Ford for Roush Racing in 2001.
Busch is the younger brother of the 2004 Nextel Cup Series Champion, Kurt, but if he ever felt over-shadowed by his older brother, the spotlight is his now with a second Championship under his belt. Joe Gibbs officially has a juggernaut on his hands, and when Busch emerged as the latest Champion, some speculated it came only because two teammates were slowed by mess-ups on pit road. Busch won the season finale at Homestead-Miami which snapped a 21-race winless stream and held off his supercharged teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Now Busch stands alone with Jimmie Johnson as the only active drivers with multiple Cup Championships.
18 THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 2020 PREVIEW & PRESS GUIDE
Busch is the reason that NASCAR has a minimum age of 18 years to compete because Busch was under the legal smoking age when he raced in a ’98 event sponsored by Marlboro cigarettes. Undeterred, Busch graduated early from high school, hit the track and never looked back. He won five times in 2019, but his NASCAR career didn’t start out quite as hot. In his 2005 rookie season, Busch won once at New Hampshire International Speedway, but even at that young age, Busch qualified for the Chase for the Nextel Cup for the first time in his career as he garnered second place for his efforts at Richmond International Raceway which got him into the top ten in points. g
