Kyle Busch is turning 40 today, and time surely flies when you’ve been raising hell and collecting trophies.
But instead of just throwing a birthday bash or posting some flashy throwback photos, Rowdy’s taking a minute to look back at the wild ride he’s been on — and he’s owning up to some instances he’s not exactly proud of.
Kyle Busch: From Teenage Prodigy to NASCAR Legend
Back when most kids were still learning how to drive a go-kart, Busch was already tearing up the track at 16, way ahead of the pack. People knew he was something special. Even NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Jack Roush, who’d already signed Busch’s older brother Kurt Busch, saw the magic and gave the younger one a shot in the Truck Series.
But just when things were heating up, drama hit. During a race weekend at California Speedway in 2001, Busch got pulled out of the truck after practice, because of a conflict with tobacco sponsor Marlboro. He was too young for that kind of advertising, and NASCAR wasn’t going to tolerate that. That entire ordeal led to a brand-new rule: No one under the age of 18 could race in the NASCAR’s national series. Just like that, Busch made history — before he even got to race.
Then came the move to Hendrick Motorsports. And that’s when things really took off. In 2004, he racked up five wins in the Xfinity Series and jumped to Cup full-time the next year. But while the wins rolled in, so did the boos.
Rowdy, Rants, and Regrets
Let’s be real — Busch was never trying to be anyone’s favourite. Fans booed him. He’d smile and toss it right back at them. Some fans loved it, while others not so much. He Told Zach Sturniolo of NASCAR, “I was mightily booed right out of the gate. I was just a young kid, 18 years old, and maybe hadn’t really paid my dues of being with lesser teams and working my way into the bigger, better teams.”
There were moments he’d probably like to forget. Like the time he slammed the new “Car of Tomorrow” at Bristol, right after winning with it that same night. He had admitted, “I’m still not a very big fan of these things. I can’t stand to drive them. They suck.”
Or when he went full send in the 2007 All-Star Race and wrecked both himself and his brother in a wild three-wide move. In a 2022 documentary, Busch looked back at that wreck and shook his head. “That was the end, that night. That was the end of HMS,” he admitted.
MORE: NASCAR Community Shows Rare Unity Over Wholesome Kyle Busch–Brad Keselowski Homestead Promo
Now, two decades later, Busch isn’t pretending to be perfect. “Not having a whole lot of life experience to that point of getting into a professional career, one that’s in the limelight…. You don’t know really how to act in certain situations. You just kind of go through those moments, some of which you probably wish you could take back,” he said recently.
Sure, he’s still Rowdy. But now he’s also a dad, a husband, and weirdly enough, one of the most experienced drivers in the garage. Even if he hates the word “veteran,” that’s what he is now.
So happy 40th, Busch. Thanks for the chaos, the honesty — and all the chequered flags along the way.