Kyle Busch

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Kyle Busch bigraphy, stories - American stock car racing driver

Kyle Busch : biography

May 2, 1985 –

Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars, Inc. Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the No. 54 Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also owns Kyle Busch Motorsports, which runs the No. 77 for Parker Kligerman in the Nationwide Series and the No. 18 Toyota Tundra for Joey Coulter, the No. 54 Toyota Tundra, driven by Darrell Wallace, Jr. and the No. 51 Toyota Tundra, driven by himself and other drivers in the Camping World Truck Series.

He currently holds several records, one of which is for most race wins in a season across the top three NASCAR series with 24 wins, which he accomplished in 2010, and one for the most wins in all three NASCAR premier series combined with 115. During the same season, Busch became the first driver to win in all three of NASCAR’s top three touring series in the same weekend (Bristol). He also holds the record for the most NASCAR Nationwide Series wins in a season with 13 in 2010, and overall with 57, surpassing Mark Martin’s 49.

At age 19 years and 317 days, Busch became NASCAR’s youngest ever pole winner in a Cup Series race at California Speedway in 2005. He has the record for most wins in a Nationwide Series rookie season, as well as being the youngest driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which is accomplished in 2006. Furthermore, Busch became the first driver to win in a Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway during the 2008 season, and is the only driver to win fourth straight spring races at Richmond International Raceway (2009-2012).

Busch is also one of two active drivers to win on his birthday and was only the second driver ever to achieve the feat, winning the 2009 Crown Royal Presents the Russell Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway, which was run on his 24th birthday. Cale Yarborough was the first and Matt Kenseth won the 2013 Kobalt Tools 400. His team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, becomes first Camping World Truck Series team to win owners’ championship in first year after recording eight wins and 16 top 5 and 21 top 10 finishes in 2010. He is the younger brother of 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.

Early life

Kyle Busch’s first driving lessons came at the age of 6 when he drove around the cul-de-sac of his family’s Las Vegas neighborhood in a makeshift go-kart. Although he was too small to reach the throttle, Busch still was able to pick up the basics from his father Tom, who controlled the gas pedal as his young son steered the kart. Throughout his childhood, Busch spent many hours as an apprentice to his father and older brother Kurt 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 addition to working on cars, Busch enjoyed forms of martial arts, including karate.

In 1998, shortly after his 13th birthday, Busch’s driving career officially began. From 1999 through 2001, Busch earned more than 65 wins in legends car racing as he racked up two track championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s "Bullring" before moving to late models. He captured 10 victories in late model competition at the Bullring in 2001.

NASCAR career

2003

Kyle Busch at the March 5, 2006 race at [[Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City]] Upon turning 18, Busch partnered with Hendrick Motorsports to run six NASCAR Busch Series races at selected tracks, running the #87 Ditech.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo for NEMCO Motorsports. During his seat time in that ride, Busch finished a Busch Series career-high second in his first NASCAR Busch Series race at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May 2003.

2004

Busch’s first full-time season began in 2004, as he competed in the Lowe’s car vacated by Brian Vickers, who had moved up to the NEXTEL Cup series. Busch clinched Rookie of the Year honors in the series, receiving his first top-10 finish of the season at the second race in Rockingham, won his first pole of the season in the fifth race, and claimed his first victory at the Richmond International Raceway at the Funai 250 in May. Busch went on to claim five wins in 2004, making him the record holder of most races won by a driver in their rookie season, and finished second to Martin Truex, Jr. in the overall points. Busch also qualified for six Nextel Cup races out of nine attempts in 2004 in the #84 Carquest Chevrolet for Hendrick, his highest finish being 24th at California Speedway.