Kyle Busch

Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Kyle Thomas Busch


Birthdate = birth date and age|1985|05|2 | Birthplace = Las Vegas, Nevada
Cup_Car_Team = #18 - Joe Gibbs Racing
Previous_Year = 2007 | Prev_Cup_Pos = 5th | Best_Cup_Pos = 5th - 2007 (Nextel Cup)
Cup_Wins = 12
Cup_Top_Tens = 68
Cup_Poles = 7
First_Cup_Race = 2004 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (Las Vegas)
First_Cup_Win = 2005 Sony HD 500 (California)
Last_Cup_Win = 2008 Centurion Boats at the Glen (Watkins Glen)
Busch_Car_Team = #18 - Joe Gibbs Racing
#32,#10 - Braun Racing
First_Busch_Race = 2003 Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte)
First_Busch_Win = 2004 Funai 250 (Richmond)
Last_Busch_Win = 2008 Dollar General 300 (Charlotte)
Busch_Wins = 20
Busch_Top_Tens = 73
Busch_Poles = 14
Truck_Car_Team = #51 - Billy Ballew Motorsports
First_Truck_Race = 2001 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (ORP)
First_Truck_Win = 2005 Quaker Steak and Lube 200 (Lowe's)
Last_Truck_Win = 2008 O'Reilly 200 (Bristol)
Truck_Wins = 10
Truck_Top_Tens = 30
Truck_Poles = 3
Awards = 2004 Busch Series Rookie of the Year
2005 NEXTEL Cup Rookie of the Year
Updated_On = October 10, 2008 |

Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985 in Las Vegas, Nevada) nicknamed "Rowdy Busch," "Wild Thing," or "Shrub" is an American race car driver. He drives the #18 M&M's Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the #18 and #20 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry (Joe Gibbs Racing), the #92 Zippo Blu Toyota Camry (D'Hondt Motorsports) in the Nationwide Series, and the #51 Miccosukee Resorts / NOS Energy Drink Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. He currently has the record for most wins in a season between the three series with 20 wins, the most previous win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on October 10, 2008.

Busch started his NASCAR career at age 16, year 2001 in the Craftsman Truck Series, but was removed from racing due to a new rule set by NASCAR disallowing anyone persons under the age of 18 to compete in NASCAR's top divisions.

Almost three years after the incident Busch won his first career NASCAR race in dominating fashion on May 14, 2004, leading 236 out of 250 laps in the Busch Series (now known as Nationwide) race at Richmond International Raceway [citeweb|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=102A0BA4E1F3A0E4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Kyle First Career Win] , driving for Rick Hendrick. At the end of the season Busch won the 2004 Busch Series Rookie of the Year with 5 wins, making him the record holder of most races won by a driver in their rookie season. [citeweb|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/22/Sports/Busch_dominates_at_Mi.shtml|title=Kyle Busch Most Races Won In Rookie Season]

A year later, Busch won his first career Craftsman Truck Series race on May 20, 2005, at Lowe's Motor Speedway [citeweb|url=http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/truck/05/20/busch_trucks.ap/index.html|title=Kyle Busch Wins First Truck Race] , driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Later in the year, he won his first career NASCAR Nextel Cup race (now known as Sprint Cup) on
September 4, 2005 at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) [citeweb|url=http://nascar.about.com/od/races/a/2cali2005.htm|title=Kyle Busch Wins First Career Nextel Cup Race] , driving for Rick Hendrick. At the end of the season Busch won the 2005 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year with 2 wins [citeweb|url=http://nascar.about.com/od/nextelcupdrivers/p/kylebusch.htm|title=Kyle Busch Wins Nextel Cup Rookie Of The Year] . The earlier win at Fontana made Kyle Busch eligible to become a part of the 18 NASCAR Triple Threats, a group of drivers who have won a race in NASCAR's top three divisions.

Childhood

Busch’s first driving lessons came at the age of 6 as he cruised the cul-de-sac of his family’s Las Vegas home in a makeshift go-kart. Although he was too small to reach the throttle, Busch still was able to pick up the basics thanks to father Tom, who controlled the gas pedal as his young son steered the kart.

Throughout his childhood, Kyle Busch spent countless hours as an apprentice to his father and older brother Kurt Busch (2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion) in the family garage learning to build and repair race cars. By the age of 10, he was a full-fledged mechanic and served as crew chief of his older brother’s dwarf car team.

In 1998, shortly after his 13th birthday, Busch’s driving career officially began, but schoolwork was always made first priority. His parents stressed accountability, so if Busch wanted to race, he was responsible for working on, repairing and paying for his own cars. He learned quickly that carelessness on the track proved costly and sometimes meant not racing the next weekend.

From 1999 through 2001, Busch earned more than 65 wins in legends cars as he racked up two track championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s “Bullring” before moving to late models. Winning seemed to come naturally as the youngster captured 10 victories in late model competition at the Bullring in 2001. [citeweb|url=http://www.kylebuschfoundation.org/aboutus.html|title = Busch's Childhood]

In 2002 Kyle Busch graduated a year early with honors from Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Personal life

Kyle Busch Foundation

The Kyle Busch Foundation is dedicated to providing essential tools for less fortunate children throughout the country. KBF will concentrate its efforts on assisting organizations in fostering a safe environment for children to live, learn and challenge themselves as well as seeing that day to day needs are met. [citeweb|url=http://www.kylebuschfoundation.org/misson.html|title = KBFoundation Mission Statement] His foundation sponsors his #51 late model which is driven by Alex Haase. Kyle also has personal sponsorship deals in place with NOS Energy Drink and Electric Visual, with both appearing on his late model at one time or another.

NASCAR career

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

At 16, Busch competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Roush Racing as a replacement after the team's two drivers were released midway in the 2001 season, and earned two top-10 finishes in six starts what was scheduled to be a full-season campaign for 2002. (In 2000, NASCAR rules changed to permit a driver to make up to seven starts -- up from five -- in a season before becoming a full-time driver for rookie status.)

Busch was the fastest in practice for a 2001 Craftsman Truck Series race at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, when he was ejected from the track by CART officials because the American Racing Wheels 200 was part of a CART weekend featuring the Marlboro 500 CART FedEx Championship Series event. [citeweb|url=http://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/Kyle+Busch?t=anon|title = Busch: Kicked Out Of 2001 American Racing Wheels 200 at Fontana] Marlboro threw Busch out of the garage because of an interpretation of the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998, prohibiting persons under 18 years of age in participating in events sponsored by tobacco companies. (The MSA also resulted in the benching in 2006 of 17-year old Grand-Am Krohn Racing driver Colin Braun for three sportscar races held in conjunction with the Indy Racing League because Marlboro sponsored both of Penske Racing's Indy Racing League efforts. In 2008, four full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup drivers were banned from participating in the Sears Auto Center 150 at the Milwaukee Mile because they were under 18, and the race was held in conjunction with an IndyCar race with Marlboro sponsorship on the Penske cars.)

Six weeks after the incident, NASCAR imposed a minimum age of 18 years starting in 2002 to prevent future incidents from happening again, because Winston was the premier series sponsor. (For 2007, the rule has changed; Camping World (East and West) Series and Whelen Modified (North and South) Tours will now permit drivers as young as 16 to enter the races. NASCAR will also not allow an IRL race to be held in conjunction with either tour because of age restrictions.)

When the age requirements were put in place, Busch switched from NASCAR to the American Speed Association (ASA) series, a Midwest based company that also aided in his success; in the 2002 season, Busch finished eighth in the championship points for the ASA series.

2004

Busch ran 1 race in 2004 for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports in their #47 Acxiom Chevrolet Silverado.

2005

Busch returned to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2005 for a limited number of races in Billy Ballew Motorsports's Chevrolet's, winning at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, and the fall race in Atlanta Motor Speedway, all 200-mile races. Busch became the youngest driver to win a Truck Series race, at 20 years 19 days.

2006

Busch repeated his Lowe's victory in 2006 in a truck painted to resemble the Rowdy Burns car from Days of Thunder, in a tribute to Bobby Hamilton (who was the stunt driver for the character), who was in the midst of a cancer battle which would later take his life.

2007

Busch won two more truck races in the #51 Billy Ballew Motorsports truck towards the end of the 2007 season, at Atlanta on October 27 and at Phoenix on November 9. In 2008, he will drive the #51 Billy Ballew Motorsports truck with David Stremme and one other driver.

2008

Kyle Busch started the season off with a third place finish in the Chevy Silverado 250 at Daytona International Speedway, and followed it up a week later with a win in the San Bernardino County 200 at the newly named Auto Club Speedway (previously California Speedway) in Fontana, California. Two weeks later at Atlanta, he raced to another win in the American Commercial Lines 200. Busch acquired his 2nd Craftsman Truck Series pole for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. [citeweb|url=http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/craftsmantruckseries/Kyle_Busch_speeds_to_truck_series_pole_for_Friday_nights_race.html |title = KB: Craftsman Truck Pole Sitter Carolina Education Lottery 200] His 3rd win of the season was at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008.

* He was originally in 2nd place, 20 points behind, but after 1st place Carl Edwards was docked 100 driver points during the week for a rules infraction on his car, Busch became the points leader.
** He was originally to start in the tenth starting position, but wrecked in practice sending him the the rear of the field.

*Bold means the current best starting/finishing position (Kyle Busch has both started and finished in the highest possible positions)

*Red means the starting position based on 2007 owner points.

*Blue means the starting position based on 2008 owner points at the time.

[http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/driver?statsId=947&categoryId=168 Kyle Busch- 2008 Sprint Cup Record]

Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Statistics

(Data as of September 21st, 2008) [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/sprint/drivers/947/career;_ylt=AiDwXMUXGBKlvCqjrPIpeg4hHrcF Career Stats] ]

Races Won

Nextel/Sprint Cup (12 career wins)

*2008 (8 wins) Kobalt Tools 500 (Atlanta), Aaron's 499, (Talladega), Dodge Challenger 500 (Darlington), Best Buy 400 (Dover), Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma), Coke Zero 400 (Daytona), LifeLock.com 400 (Chicagoland), Centurion Boats at the Glen (Watkins Glen).
*2007 (1 win) Food City 500 (Bristol)
*2006 (1 win) Lenox Industrial Tools 300 (Loudon)
*2005 (2 wins) Sony HD 500 (Fontana), Checker Auto Parts 500 (Phoenix)

Busch/Nationwide Series (20 career wins)

*2008 (9 wins) O'Reilly 300 (Fort Worth), Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix), Corona México 200 (Mexico City), Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte), Dollar General 300 (Chicagoland), Kroger 200 (ORP), Camping World RV Service 300 (Fontana), Camping World RV Sales 200 (Dover), Dollar General 300 (Charlotte)
*2007 (4 wins) Winn-Dixie 250 (Daytona), Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond), Yellow Transportation 300 (Kansas City), Arizona Travel 200 (Phoenix)
*2006 (1 win) Sharpie Mini 300 (Bristol)
*2005 (1 win) Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte)
*2004 (5 wins) Funai 250 (Richmond), Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Charlotte), Meijer 300 (Sparta), Kroger 200 (Indianapolis), Cabela's 250 (Brooklyn)

Craftsman Truck Series (10 career wins)

*2008 (3 wins) San Bernardino County 200 (Fontana), American Commercial Lines 200 (Atlanta), O'Reilly 200 (Bristol)
*2007 (2 win) EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200, (Atlanta), Casino Arizona 150 (Phoenix)
*2006 (1 win) Quaker Steak & Lube 200 (Charlotte)
*2005 (3 wins) Quaker Steak & Lube 200 (Charlotte), MBNA RacePoints 200 (Dover), EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 (Atlanta)

Nicknames

He is often nicknamed Shrub, since he is the younger brother of NASCAR driver Kurt Busch and a small bush is called a shrub. [ [http://www.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/10224492 Dale Earnhardt Incorporated Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, AUTO RACING,Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports - CBSSports.com ] ] He is also most commonly referred to as Rowdy Busch after Rowdy Burns in the movie Days of Thunder, as well as Little Busch after the TV series Lil' Bush. Recently Mike Joy coined the nickname Wild Thing as he is always making daring and bold moves on the track.

References

External links

* [http://www.kylebusch.com Kyle Busch's Official Website]
* [http://www.kylebuschfoundation.org/ The Kyle Busch Foundation]
* [http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kbusch01/bg/index.html Kyle Busch at NASCAR.com]
* [http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/driver?statsId=947 Kyle Busch at FoxSports.com]
* [http://multimedia.foxsports.com/car-racing/nascar/drivers/kyle-busch.htm Kyle Busch Video on FoxSports Video Archive]
* [http://www.snickers.com/racing Kyle Busch Exclusive Videos on Snickers Site]
* [http://www.joegibbsracing.com/current/18cup/18c_prhist.php Official team website at joegibbsracing.com]
* [http://www.mms.com/us/racing/ Kyle Busch M&M Sponsor]