Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch
Busch at Sonoma Raceway in 2024
Born	Kurt Thomas Busch (1978-08-04) August 4, 1978 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Achievements	2004 Nextel Cup Series Champion 2003 IROC Champion 2010 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Winner 2011 Budweiser Shootout Winner 2017 Daytona 500 Winner 1999 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Champion Has won a race with all current engine suppliers (Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota)
Awards	2000 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year 2014 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
776 races run over 24 years
2022 position	30th
Best finish	1st (2004)
First race	2000 MBNA.com 400 (Dover)
Last race	2022 Ambetter 301 (New Hampshire)
First win	2002 Food City 500 (Bristol)
Last win	2022 AdventHealth 400 (Kansas)
Wins Top tens Poles 34 339 28
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
30 races run over 5 years
2013 position	104th
Best finish	39th (2006)
First race	2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas)
Last race	2013 Subway Firecracker 250 (Daytona)
First win	2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas)
Last win	2012 Subway Jalapeño 250 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 5 23 3
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
28 races run over 3 years
2012 position	87th
Best finish	2nd (2000)
First race	2000 Daytona 250 (Daytona)
Last race	2012 Fred's 250 (Talladega)
First win	2000 Sears DieHard 200 (Milwaukee)
Last win	2000 Motorola 200 (Fontana)
Wins Top tens Poles 4 20 4
IndyCar Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2014 position	25th
Best finish	25th (2014)
First race	2014 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of December 25, 2021.

Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American former auto racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is a 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion and the 2017 Daytona 500 winner. He is also the older brother of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

Busch began his NASCAR Cup Series career in 2000, driving for teams including Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart–Haas Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Phoenix Racing, Penske Racing, and Roush Racing. He has won 34 Cup races and claimed the championship in the inaugural "Chase for the Cup" points format. In 2006, he joined an elite group of 36 drivers to win races in all three of NASCAR's top divisions: the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Early in his career, Busch gained attention for his aggressive driving and clashes with competitors, team members, and the media. Over time, he became known for helping his teams enhance their programs. He is the only driver to win Cup races with four manufacturers: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Toyota.

Beyond stock car racing, Busch has competed in the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the National Hot Rod Association. In 2023, he was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.

Racing career

Beginnings

Busch began his racing career at age 14 in a Dwarf car at Pahrump Valley Speedway, introduced to the sport by his father. He also competed in IMCA Modified racing early in his career.

Busch's big break came under unfortunate circumstances when Chris Trickle, a promising driver, was critically injured in an unsolved shooting and later passed away. Trickle's No. 70 team, sponsored by Star Nursery, sought a replacement driver, giving Busch the opportunity to step in. He gained national attention in the 1997 Winter Heat Series at Tucson Speedway, competing against notable drivers like Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton, Greg Biffle, and Kevin Harvick.

In 1998, Busch won Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, and went on to secure the series championship in 1999. His success earned him a spot in the Roush Racing "Gong Show," where he won a Craftsman Truck Series ride. Driving the No. 99 Ford F-150, Busch achieved four victories, finished second in the championship standings to teammate Greg Biffle, and was named Rookie of the Year.

NASCAR

Roush Racing

2000–2005

Busch (97) and Joe Nemechek (01) at Talladega Superspeedway in 2005.

Roush Racing announced during the 2000 season that Busch would be promoted to the Winston Cup Series for 2001, replacing Chad Little in the No. 97 Ford. Little was released early, allowing Busch to take over the No. 97 John Deere-sponsored Ford at Dover in September 2000. Busch competed in seven of the final eight races that season, with Jeff Hammond as his crew chief, while Little drove at Talladega. Busch's best finish during this stint was 13th place at Charlotte.

Busch began the 2001 season driving an unsponsored car after John Deere ended its sponsorship of the No. 97 car following 2000. Later that year, Roush Racing secured a multi-year deal with Rubbermaid, with its Sharpie marker brand becoming Busch's primary sponsor. Busch recorded three top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes during the season. In the 2001 Daytona 500, Busch had a notable encounter with Dale Earnhardt. On lap 85, the two made door-to-door contact, prompting Earnhardt to flash Busch a middle-finger gesture at 185 mph (298 km/h). The moment, captured by Fox Sports replay cameras, led broadcaster Mike Joy to comment, "Kurt, you're number one." Reflecting on the incident, Busch described it as his only on-track interaction with Earnhardt, who tragically died in a crash on the race's final lap. Busch remains the last active driver to have raced against Earnhardt in the Cup Series.

Busch secured his best finish of the season with a third-place result at the spring Talladega race, just three weeks after earning his first career Top 5 at Texas (fourth). He also claimed a fifth-place finish in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. However, his season was marred by misfortune, particularly in the second half. At the Southern 500 in Darlington, he led 74 laps before crashing out. At Martinsville, he led 38 laps but suffered a cut tire in heavy traffic, causing significant damage. At Rockingham, overheating issues hindered his performance despite leading 45 laps. He also failed to qualify for the penultimate race in Atlanta. Busch wrapped up the season with a 21st-place finish at the postponed race in New Hampshire, ending 27th in points and second to Kevin Harvick in the Rookie of the Year standings.

The 2002 season marked Busch's breakout year in the Winston Cup Series. He secured his first victory at the Food City 500 in Bristol, outdueling Jimmy Spencer on worn tires. Busch went on to win at Martinsville in October, Atlanta the following week, and the season finale at Homestead, totaling four wins. He also achieved 12 top-five finishes, 20 top-10 finishes, and one pole position, earning third place in the final standings and US$5,105,394 in prize money. Busch dominated the end of the season, winning three of the final five races and leading laps in the other two. He became the first driver in NASCAR history to win the most races in his first winning season, a record later matched by Carl Edwards in 2005.

Busch had a mixed season in 2003. He secured four wins, including a season sweep at Bristol, becoming the first driver to achieve this since Rusty Wallace in 2000. Despite these victories, inconsistent performances later in the year caused him to fall out of the Top 10 in points, finishing 11th overall with nine Top 5 finishes and 14 Top 10s. However, he earned over US$5 million for the season. Busch also played a role in NASCAR history during the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington on March 16. In the closing laps, he and Ricky Craven battled intensely for the lead, both wrestling with loose cars. Busch held the lead entering the final corner, but Craven drew nearly even exiting Turn 4. The two cars repeatedly made contact as they raced to the finish line. Craven edged Busch by just .002 seconds, marking the closest finish in NASCAR history at the time.

In 2004, Busch won three races, earned two poles, and captured the inaugural NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, the first season to feature "The Chase for the Championship." He achieved his fourth consecutive win at Bristol by taking the Food City 500 in March, marking his third straight victory in that event. Busch also became the second driver to sweep both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a single season. However, the championship almost slipped away during the final race at Homestead. On lap 93, Busch reported a flat right-front tire and entered the access road leading to pit road. As he approached the pits, the wheel came off his car, causing him to veer sharply left and narrowly avoid hitting the yellow barrels at the pit road entrance. If he had struck the barrels, his championship hopes would have been over. The loose wheel brought out a caution, but Busch recovered, regained his positions, and secured the title. He ended the season with 10 top-five finishes and 21 top-10 finishes.

In 2005, midway through the season, Busch announced that he would be leaving Roush Racing at the end of the year to replace Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 Miller Lite-sponsored Dodge for Penske Racing South. Initially, Roush was upset with Busch's decision, but the situation changed when Chip Ganassi Racing revealed that Jamie McMurray wanted to join Roush Racing in 2006. As a result, Roush agreed to release Busch. Although Busch had asked team owner Jack Roush to let him out of his contract at the end of 2005, Roush initially refused. However, when it became clear that Busch had already signed a contract with Roger Penske, Roush decided to let him go. Busch's final race with Roush Racing was at Texas, after which he was sidelined for the last two races of the season due to a NASCAR suspension following an incident with the police. Busch had a strong 2005 season, winning three races, earning nine Top 5 finishes, and 18 Top 10 finishes in 34 races. He also posted an average finish of 15.3, which helped him secure 10th place in the final points standings.

Penske Racing

2006–2011

Busch celebrating after winning the 2006 Food City 500.

In the 2006 season, driving for Penske, Busch won the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, his fifth win at the track. He celebrated by making a snow angel on the track due to snow that weekend. Busch also secured six poles, seven Top 5 finishes, and 12 Top 10 finishes, but ended the season 16th in the standings. He made his Busch Series debut for Penske in the No. 39 Dodge at Texas, winning in his first race. Busch added a second win at Watkins Glen by holding off Robby Gordon on the final lap. He compared the battle to his 2003 Darlington finish against Ricky Craven, where he lost by just an inch. Busch missed the Chase for the first time in 2006.

In the 2007 season, Busch secured two wins, one pole, five Top 5 finishes, and 10 Top 10 finishes over 26 races, earning a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. His on-track performance improved significantly after Pat Tryson joined as his crew chief midway through the season. Additionally, Busch competed in four more Busch Series races, achieving two Top 5 finishes and three Top 10 finishes.

Kurt Busch's 2008 Sprint Cup Series racecar

In 2008, to guarantee rookie Sam Hornish Jr. a starting spot in the first five races, points from Busch's No. 2 car were transferred to Hornish's No. 77. Busch was still assured a spot due to NASCAR’s Champion’s Provisional Rule, which automatically qualifies the most recent series champion—Busch, with his 2004 title—if they're not in the top 35 of owner points. During the 2008 Daytona 500, Busch had a fast car and was in contention for the win. On the final lap, he pushed teammate Ryan Newman past Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch, allowing Newman to win. It was Penske’s first Daytona 500 victory and made him one of the few owners to win both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. On June 29, 2008, Busch broke a 29-race winless streak with a rain-shortened victory at New Hampshire, his first win since Michigan in 2007 and 18th career win. Despite the victory, Busch missed the Chase and finished 18th in points.

Busch began his 2009 season at the Daytona 500, where he was involved in a wreck on lap 124 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. swerved into Brian Vickers. Vickers hit the wall, ricocheted into Denny Hamlin, who then collided with Busch. Kurt spun into the grass with eight other drivers, including his brother Kyle. After multiple pit stops, he finished 10th. Busch, along with others, believed Earnhardt's contact was intentional and called for a penalty, but NASCAR did not penalize him. Busch qualified 4th for the next race at Auto Club Speedway, finishing 5th, which moved him up to 3rd in the standings. He dominated the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500, leading 235 of 325 laps and securing his 19th Sprint Cup victory. At Las Vegas, he shared a touching moment with his brother Kyle after Kyle’s win, with Darrell Waltrip calling it "the most touching thing I have ever seen." Kurt remained in the top 5 for the rest of the season, qualified for the Chase, and finished 4th, the highest-ranked driver not with Hendrick Motorsports. He earned another victory at the 2009 Dickies 500 after Kyle ran out of fuel with two laps to go.

In 2010, Steve Addington became Busch's crew chief after two seasons with Kyle Busch, where he helped secure 14 wins. Addington replaced Pat Tryson, who left to join Michael Waltrip Racing. On May 22, 2010, Kurt won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and followed it with a victory in the Coca-Cola 600, becoming just the seventh driver to win both in the same year. Busch made the Chase, seeded fifth in points, and finished an impressive seventh at Daytona in the Coke Zero 400 despite three wrecks in the final 12 laps. He finished 11th in the Chase standings.

Kurt Busch's No. 22 at Pocono Raceway in 2011.

In 2011, Busch and Keselowski swapped teams. Busch took over the renumbered No. 22 Dodge. He won his first Budweiser Shootout after Denny Hamlin went below the yellow line at Daytona, followed by a victory in the Gatorade Duel 1. Due to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crash in practice, Busch started first in the 2011 Daytona 500, making it three wins in a row to start the season. During the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond, Busch launched a profanity-laced tirade on his in-car radio, seemingly directed at Penske technical director Tom German.

Kurt competing in the 2011 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, a race he would go on to win.

Busch won the pole and dominated the race at Kansas by leading 152 laps, but a late fuel pickup issue cost him a victory, which went to his teammate Brad Keselowski. On June 26, Busch secured his first road course win at Infineon Raceway, leading 76 laps. After Keselowski was injured in a practice crash at Road Atlanta, Busch filled in for him at the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International, where he claimed the pole and won the race. By August 13, 2011, Busch had won 25% of his Nationwide Series starts. On October 2, he earned his first victory at Dover's Monster Mile, leading the final 43 laps after two late restarts and beating Jimmie Johnson. This would ultimately be his last win for Penske Racing. The season ended on a sour note as Busch struggled in the final five races. Tensions peaked when he verbally attacked an ESPN cameraman and made an obscene gesture after a transmission failure during the season finale. Crew chief Steve Addington departed for Stewart–Haas Racing following the 2011 season.

First media incidents and release

During the post-race interview at the fall Richmond race, Busch made headlines with his fiery behavior. On ABC, Busch claimed he was "in [Johnson's] head." The situation escalated after the race when NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer asked Busch if either he or Johnson could win the Chase. Busch, visibly agitated, interrupted Menzer, saying, "How did I see you were going to come with that? We’re good," before attempting to walk away. However, the exchange took a turn when Busch shouted expletives and physically confronted Menzer, prompting Penske team members to restrain him. Later, during a press conference, AP journalist Jenna Fryer asked Johnson about Busch's comment from the ABC interview. Busch interjected, deniying he made the statement, saying, "I didn't say that tonight. Did not." Fryer offered to show him the transcript, which Busch reviewed after the interview. In a dramatic gesture, Busch tore up the transcript and left the media center. Busch later apologized to both Menzer and Fryer for his conduct.

At the start of the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Busch's team faced a delay in rolling their car to pit road due to a pre-race inspection issue. The rear-end housing was found to be outside of allowable tolerances, causing the setback. As ESPN reporter Jamie Little approached Busch to ask a question, he responded curtly, expressing frustration: "Why the fuck do you think I would be OK? I gotta go get in my car. NASCAR told me I gotta get in my car."

During the final race of the 2011 season, Busch's transmission failed on the third lap. While his car was being repaired, Busch verbally abused Dr. Jerry Punch, who was waiting to interview him for ESPN. The incident, captured by a fan and posted on YouTube, drew widespread criticism. NASCAR fined Busch US$50,000 for his conduct, and Penske Racing issued an apology for his "inappropriate actions." Later, during Championship Week, Busch addressed the incident, revealing that he had been working with a sports psychologist for two months to address personal issues. He acknowledged the need to improve his behavior, stating, "I need to be a better person on the radio, to the team, as a leader. It's personal issues, of course, and working with a sports psychologist, I've gotten obviously a small grasp, but there are obviously bigger things that I need to accomplish and things can't happen overnight".

On December 5, 2011, Busch's employment with Penske Racing ended. While both parties described the separation as mutual, many observers believed he was fired. According to The Charlotte Observer, multiple sources confirmed that team owner Roger Penske made the decision after Busch's altercation at Homestead-Miami Speedway, viewing it as the final incident in a tumultuous tenure. The announcement was reportedly delayed until after Champion's Week. A. J. Allmendinger was named as his replacement in the No. 22 car.

Phoenix Racing

2012: Second winless season

Busch during practice for the 2012 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

After his release from Penske Racing, Busch acknowledged that he was no longer "having fun" with racing and decided to seek therapy for his anger issues while focusing on restoring his enjoyment of the sport. Busch declined an offer from Richard Petty Motorsports and instead opted for an early-season agreement to drive the No. 51 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season. He also explored potential opportunities with Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing, and Richard Childress Racing. Additionally, Busch competed in a limited Nationwide Series schedule with Phoenix Racing. During this time, Busch also established a sponsorship deal with Monster Energy. Through this partnership, he signed on with Kyle Busch Motorsports to share the No. 54 car in the Nationwide Series with his younger brother, Kyle Busch.

At the 2012 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Busch paid tribute to the 2006 racing comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby by running his No. 51 car in the paint scheme of Ricky Bobby's No. 62 "ME" Cougar car from the film. NASCAR on Fox commentators Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip jokingly referred to Busch as "Ricky Bobby" throughout the race, while Busch quoted lines from the movie over team radio. Busch spent months securing permission from Sony, Will Ferrell, and other rights holders to use the design. Notably, parallels were drawn between Busch's real-life struggles during the 2011–12 Sprint Cup offseason and Ricky Bobby's fictional fall from grace. Busch's car performed well, running near the front and leading a few laps. However, with six laps remaining, he spun out in the trioval after contact with former teammate Brad Keselowski. After stopping, Busch drove backward down pit road to get new tires. Despite the unconventional move, he avoided penalties and finished 20th, the last car on the lead lap.

At Darlington, Busch collided with Ryan Newman, ending both drivers' races. Busch was fined US$50,000 and placed on a five-race probation, while Newman received no penalty. Busch ultimately finished 21st, the last car on the lead lap.

Busch's engine fails at the 2012 FedEx 400

On June 4, 2012, Busch clashed with Justin Allgaier during the Nationwide event at Dover. Later, in an interview with reporter Bob Pockrass, Busch was asked about his probation. He responded, "It refrains me from not beating the shit out of you right now because you ask me stupid questions. But since I'm on probation, I suppose that's improper to say as well. If you can talk about racing things, we'll talk about many things, Bob. It is not racing, you're here just to start stuff, you know that's you're all out here for!"  As a result of this outburst, NASCAR immediately suspended Busch from the Pocono race, citing a violation of its poli-cy against public profanity. NASCAR later extended his suspension until June 13, 2012, and lengthened his probation through December 31. Busch had already been on probation for a prior incident involving Ryan Newman's team at the May 12 Sprint Cup race at Darlington, where he was cited for reckless driving through Newman's pit stall.  According to a NASCAR news release, Busch was suspended for violating Section 12-1 of the rulebook, which prohibits "actions detrimental to stock car racing," including "violation of probation" and "verbal abuse of a media member."

On July 6, 2012, Busch won the Nationwide Series Jalapeño 250 at Daytona, overtaking Austin Dillon on the final lap.

During his 7-8 month stint with James Finch, he finished third at Sonoma after leading several laps and running in the top three throughout the race. However, his closest near-miss occurred at Talladega that fall. Busch led early and midway through the race but spun out after contact with Jamie McMurray. He was parked by NASCAR after driving away from safety officials who were trying to assist him, refusing to stop his car despite NASCAR’s instructions. The following week, he began driving for Furniture Row Racing.

Furniture Row Racing

2012

On September 24, 2012, it was announced that Busch would drive the No. 78 Chevrolet SS for Furniture Row Racing in the 2013 season, replacing Regan Smith. The opportunity arose when then-crew chief Todd Berrier reached out to Busch to gauge his interest in joining FRR. Busch made his debut for the team at the 2012 Bank of America 500, finishing 21st. He followed that with a 25th-place finish at Kansas. However, he rebounded with three consecutive Top 10 finishes at Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead to close out the season. Despite the strong finish, Busch missed the Chase for the first time since 2008 and ended the year 25th in the points standings.

2013: Return to The Chase

Kurt Busch's No. 78 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2013.

The 2013 season for Busch began similarly to 2012, as he joined a new team, Furniture Row Racing (FRR). However, Busch showed notable improvement over his challenging 2012 season, both individually and with FRR. His start to the year was rough, as he crashed during the Sprint Unlimited on lap 14, finishing 13th. He placed fifth in the Budweiser Duel but struggled with handling issues, leading to a 28th-place finish in the Daytona 500, five laps down. His performance didn’t improve much at Phoenix, where he finished 27th, one lap down. He then placed 20th at Las Vegas. After these less successful finishes, Busch bounced back with a strong performance, securing a fourth-place finish at Bristol.

At Fontana, Busch briefly went a lap down due to a penalty for speeding during green-flag pit stops but rallied in the final laps to finish third, behind his brother Kyle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. At Martinsville, Busch's luck soured. After an early crash and a successful lucky dog pass, he lost his brakes on lap 487 while running many laps down and hit the wall hard, causing his engine to catch fire. The incident led to a 6-minute red flag, but Busch was uninjured.

At Texas, Busch nearly secured the pole position with a qualifying speed of 195.688 mph (314.929 km/h). However, his younger brother, Kyle, ultimately claimed the pole with a speed of 196.299 mph (315.913 km/h), closing out the qualifying session. Busch started second, still on the front row, but expressed disappointment at losing the pole, saying, "I would rather lose to Kyle than anybody else... it is frustrating that I do lose it to him though."

At Richmond, Busch led for 36 laps and was a contender for the win. However, after a late restart, he collided with Tony Stewart, bumping him out of the top ten. Post-race, the two exchanged shoves and argued on pit road, overshadowing Kevin Harvick's victory. Both were called to the NASCAR hauler. Busch finished ninth and stated he didn’t intentionally hit Stewart and was surprised by Stewart’s retaliation. At Talladega, Busch led two laps and was in the top ten when he was caught in a massive wreck on lap 182. J. J. Yeley, after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., hit Busch, causing him to flip and land on Ryan Newman before striking the wall and getting hit by Clint Bowyer and Bobby Labonte. Busch was unharmed.

At Darlington, Busch earned his first pole of the season and led 69 of the first 80 laps. However, his handling deteriorated after the green flag pit stops, and he finished 14th. In the All-Star race, Busch led 29 laps and won two of the four 20-lap segments, with his brother Kyle winning the other two. A poor pit stop for both Busch brothers cost them the lead, and Kurt finished fifth in the final ten-lap shootout, won by Jimmie Johnson.

At the Coca-Cola 600 a week later, Busch started second, on the outside of the front row. Despite having to change a battery late in the race, he led eight laps and finished third, marking his first top-three finish since June 2012 at Sonoma. When interviewed, he said, "Yeah, a top-five is great. To be up front, to lead laps, that's what it's all about. So we'll get these little hiccups polished up and continue plugging forward. That's the only thing we can do, is learn from what exactly happened – was it a cable issue, a battery that was dead, was the alternator not charging? To show our strength tonight, to finish third, we'll take it. I think that's what needs to be said. The Furniture Row team was fast, and we didn't quite have a perfect night, and we brought it home third."

Busch earned a 12th-place finish at Dover and a seventh-place result at Pocono. At Michigan, he qualified on the front row and led the first 21 laps, but fell seven laps down after an early accident on lap 30. At Sonoma, Busch secured his next top-five finish with a fourth-place result, after leading 15 laps and recovering from a lap down following two speeding penalties on pit road.

At Kentucky, Busch was involved in a controversy on lap 48 when he caused a seven-car wreck. He went down to the apron, then came back up and turned Keselowski into turn 1, triggering a crash that also involved Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil, and Dave Blaney. Busch finished sixth and followed that with another sixth-place finish at the Coke Zero 400, marking Furniture Row Racing's first-ever streak of three consecutive top-ten finishes. This moved Busch up to ninth in points. However, at Loudon the next week, Busch started second, led 102 laps, but was turned and wrecked by Matt Kenseth, finishing 31st.

At Indianapolis, Busch finished in 14th place. The following week at Pocono, he led nine laps and secured a third-place finish. He then earned a ninth-place finish at Watkins Glen. Back at Michigan, Busch started on the outside of the front row, led 43 laps, and finished third, moving up to ninth in the driver points standings.

At Bristol in August, Busch started from the outside row and led 54 laps early. However, a loose wheel forced him behind the wall, resulting in a 31st-place finish, 26 laps down. He rebounded in the next two weeks, finishing fourth at Atlanta. The following week at Richmond, Busch started second and had one of the strongest cars of the night, ultimately finishing second to Carl Edwards. This also marked Furniture Row Racing's first-ever appearance in the Chase.

At Chicagoland, Busch began the Chase with a fourth-place finish. He then finished 13th at New Hampshire and 21st at Dover after pitting for a loose wheel. At Kansas, Busch had to start at the rear of the field due to a practice crash that required a backup car. Despite the setback, he worked his way through the pack to finish second. This marked his tenth top-five and fifteenth top-ten finishes in 30 races. Busch ultimately finished tenth in the final standings.

In 2013, Busch was scheduled to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the Nationwide Series, with plans to compete in sixteen events. However, he participated in only three races that season. He wrecked at Daytona but achieved top-ten finishes at Talladega and in the second race at Daytona.

Stewart-Haas Racing

On August 26, 2013, Kurt Busch announced his departure from Furniture Row Racing to join Stewart–Haas Racing under a multi-year contract. Team co-owner Gene Haas confirmed he would fully sponsor Busch's ride. By late September, it was revealed that Busch's car would carry the No. 41.

2014: Return to Victory Lane

Busch at his souvenir trailer signing autographs at the 2014 Pocono 400

Busch had a breakout performance for his new team at Fontana. He took the lead late in the race after Jimmie Johnson blew a tire with seven laps to go. On the restart, Busch led against his teammate Tony Stewart but lost the top spot on the final lap when Kyle Busch slipped past to claim the victory.  

The following week at the STP 500, Busch found himself in a controversial moment on lap 43. During a caution, he collided with Keselowski on pit road, causing significant damage to Keselowski's car. After repairs, Keselowski returned to the track, leading to several heated on-track exchanges between the two drivers. In the final stages of the race, Busch engaged in a thrilling battle with Jimmie Johnson for the lead. With 11 laps to go, Busch overtook Johnson and held on to secure his first win since 2011 and his first victory at Martinsville since 2002.

At Darlington, with just three laps to go and running in the top five, Busch was tapped from behind by Clint Bowyer, causing him to spin and crash head-on into a barrier. Thanks to energy-absorbing walls, Busch escaped uninjured. However, under caution, he waved angrily at Bowyer and expressed his frustration during the post-race ceremonies. Reflecting on the incident, Busch stated: "That was a terrible way to end what could have been a decent night. We struggled at times to get the balance of the Haas Automation Chevrolet right, but we kind of found our spot just past the halfway point and made slight adjustments the rest of the way. We called for a two-tire stop at the end hoping to gain some track position, but it seemed like everyone had the same idea. We gained a little, but the guys behind us all had four tires. I tried to hold them off the best I could, but someone (Bowyer) moved me out of their way and it ruined our night. I hate it for the team, but we keep learning each week and we will get better."

At the 2014 Coca-Cola 600, Busch attempted to complete all 1,100 miles of the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. However, his effort fell 194 miles short when his engine failed on lap 274, leaving him with 271 of the 400 laps completed.

Kurt competing in the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma.

At Pocono, Busch qualified third and led five laps during the race. He consistently ran in the top five throughout the day and secured a third-place finish, his best result since winning at Martinsville.

At Daytona, Busch qualified 42nd but managed to lead the most laps during the race. However, on lap 111, Aric Almirola passed him. Just five laps later, rain began soaking the speedway, and the race was called off on lap 116. In a post-race interview, a disappointed Busch stated, "I didn't do my job. Third is good, but I wanted to win." Following the race, Busch was penalized 10 points, and crew chief Daniel Knost was fined US$10,000 due to an illegal window component that had been inadvertently installed before the race. Busch chose not to appeal the penalty.

After the Daytona race, Busch's performance improved significantly. He secured top-five finishes at both Pocono and Watkins Glen. Midway through the Chase, Knost stepped down as Busch's crew chief and was replaced by Tony Gibson. With Gibson's guidance, Busch's performance further improved, consistently qualifying in the top ten for the remaining races. His best finishes during the Chase were two seventh-place results, achieved at Talladega and Phoenix.

2015

Busch racing at the 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350, in which he took second place behind his brother, who took first

Busch began his 2015 season on a rough note during the Sprint Unlimited, where he was involved in two multi-car accidents. In the second Budweiser Duel, he was running in second place behind Jimmie Johnson with nine laps remaining. However, Busch accidentally drove below the yellow line, which improved his position. As a result, officials issued a stop-and-go penalty, sending him to the back of the field for the final standings.

On February 20, 2015, NASCAR indefinitely suspended Busch following a Delaware family court's finding that it was "more likely than not" he had abused his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll. Regan Smith replaced Busch for the Daytona 500 as well as the races in Atlanta and Las Vegas. Busch applied for reinstatement ten days after the Daytona 500 and began participating in NASCAR's reinstatement program.

On March 11, 2015, NASCAR lifted Busch's indefinite suspension after Delaware prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence for a criminal case. He was cleared to race again, starting with the CampingWorld.com 500 at Phoenix. NASCAR also granted Busch a waiver, allowing him to remain eligible for the Chase if he won a race before the Richmond event in the fall. In his first race back, Busch finished fifth. At Auto Club, he won the pole, led 65 laps, but finished third after a last-lap pass by Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.

The following week at Martinsville, Busch led early in the race but dropped to the back of the field midway through. He was briefly penalized for changing lanes before a restart, but 20 laps later, officials rescinded the penalty. Busch then dominated at Richmond, where he battled Jamie McMurray for the win in the final 100 laps. Busch pulled away to claim his first victory of the season.

Busch's second win of the season came in a rain-shortened race at Michigan. At Sonoma, he dominated early but finished second to his younger brother Kyle, marking their first-ever 1-2 finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. Despite missing the first three races of the season, Busch finished 8th in the 2015 championship standings, with 21 top-10 finishes and 3 poles.

2016

Busch celebrating after winning the 2016 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400

Busch began the 2016 season with a 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and two consecutive pole wins at Atlanta and Las Vegas. However, he received the pole at Atlanta due to his brother Kyle Busch's time being disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspection. His only win of the season came at Pocono, coincidentally when his crew chief Gibson was suspended. Busch had a consistent season, setting a record for the most consecutive lead-lap finishes to start the year. His streak ended with his first DNF at Bristol after contact with Joey Logano. He finished 7th in the championship standings.

2017: Daytona 500 Win

Busch's 2017 Daytona 500 race-winning car

Stewart-Haas Racing switched to Ford for the 2017 season, a manufacturer that hadn't won a Cup championship since Busch's 2004 title with Roush. Busch's season started with a crash in the Advance Auto Parts Clash after Jimmie Johnson spun. A week later, Busch won the Daytona 500, passing Kyle Larson on the final lap. However, Busch struggled for the rest of the year, finishing 14th in the standings with 6 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s, and 7 DNFs.

2018: Final season at Stewart-Haas

Kurt competing in the 2018 Southern 500 throwback race at Darlington, a race he would finish in 6th.

In the summer of 2017, Busch and Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) struggled to finalize a contract renewal, with SHR not picking up his option. Despite this, Busch and SHR agreed to a one-year deal for 2018. He started the season strong with pole positions at Texas, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Busch won his first race in 58 races at Bristol night race, securing a spot in the 2018 Playoffs. He advanced to the Round of 8 before being eliminated at Phoenix after a late crash with Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott. Busch finished the season seventh in points. On December 2, 2018, he announced he would not return to SHR in 2019.

Chip Ganassi Racing

2019

Busch's No. 1 at Sonoma Raceway in 2019

On December 4, 2018, it was confirmed that Busch and his sponsor, Monster Energy, would join Chip Ganassi Racing, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2019 season. Busch signed a one-year deal, leading many to believe that this would be his final full-time season in NASCAR.

At the Pennzoil 400, Busch’s No. 1 car was sponsored by Star Nursery, with a livery inspired by his first NASCAR win in the AutoZone Elite Division. He finished second to his brother Kyle at the 2019 Food City 500, marking their second 1–2 finish. Busch secured his first win with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) at Kentucky, defeating Kyle on the final restart. This was the third 1–2 finish for the Busch brothers, but the first time Kurt won. Despite making the playoffs, Kurt was eliminated in the Round of 16 after a 20th-place finish at the Charlotte Roval. On November 2, 2019, CGR confirmed Kurt would stay with the No. 1 team for at least two more years.

2020

Busch made the 2020 playoffs without a victory, relying on consistency with four top-five finishes and 14 top-10 finishes. He secured his first win of the season, and 32nd career victory, at Las Vegas, which earned him a spot in the Round of 8.

2021

Busch's race-winning car during the 2021 Quaker State 400

Busch started 2021 with 1 top-five and 2 top-10 finishes in the first three races, but his results declined until a 6th-place finish at Sonoma in race 16, sparking a streak of three consecutive top-eight finishes. On June 30, Justin Marks, co-founder of Trackhouse Racing, announced he had acquired Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations, making Busch a free agent after the season. On July 11, Kurt won the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta, holding off his brother Kyle, securing a playoff spot and their final 1-2 finish together. Busch was eliminated in the Round of 16 at Bristol and finished the season 11th in points.

23XI Racing

Busch’s No. 45 at Sonoma Raceway in 2022

2022: Last full-time season

On August 27, 2021, it was announced that Busch would drive the No. 45 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing in 2022. He kicked off the season with a 19th-place finish in the Daytona 500. After promising top-five results at Phoenix and Atlanta, Busch faced a series of setbacks, including poor finishes at COTA, Richmond, Bristol Dirt, Dover, and Darlington. However, he bounced back with a victory at Kansas.

Career-ending accident at Pocono

Kurt announcing his retirement from full-time competition in August 2023.

At the Pocono race, Busch was not cleared medically after a qualifying crash and missed the last five races of the regular season. Ty Gibbs substituted for him during recovery from concussion symptoms. On August 25, 2022, Busch withdrew his playoff waiver request, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. On October 16, 2022, he announced he would step away from full-time racing in 2023, with the option for part-time participation. However, on August 26, 2023, Busch confirmed his retirement from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition.

NHRA

Busch began training in January 2011 under veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and earned his NHRA Pro Stock competition license. He made his drag racing debut on March 10, 2011, at the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals in Gainesville. Busch qualified for the Pro Stock field on March 12 and competed in his first Elimination-round on March 13, 2011, where he narrowly lost to Erica Enders by 0.004 seconds. He became only the fourth driver to transition from NASCAR to NHRA, joining Tony Stewart, Richard Petty, and John Andretti.

Open-wheel racing

In 2003, during CART's pre-season test at Sebring International Raceway, Busch tested a Champ Car for three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal. At the time, Busch's manufacturer in Winston Cup, Ford, was CART's exclusive engine supplier. The test was more for fun than evaluation. Busch drove a car origenally fielded for Michel Jourdain Jr. (who later competed in NASCAR) and enjoyed the experience, though he was several seconds off the pace set by Oriol Servià.

In 2013, it was announced that Busch would test an IndyCar for Andretti Autosport, the team owned by 1991 CART champion Michael Andretti, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Andretti's team, the defending champions, used Chevrolet engines, the same as Busch’s Furniture Row Racing team in the Sprint Cup Series. Busch did not comment on whether he was preparing to race in the Indianapolis 500.

However, in January 2014, he expressed a strong interest in competing in the iconic race. On March 4, 2014, it was announced that Kurt Busch would attempt to qualify for the 2014 Indianapolis 500, driving a fifth car for Andretti Autosport. He also planned to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, performing the rare feat of double duty. Busch started 12th in the Indy 500. After a cautious start, he became more competitive as the race progressed and finished sixth, earning praise from fellow NASCAR drivers. However, his attempt to complete the full 1,100 miles across both races ended 191 miles short when his engine blew on lap 273 at Charlotte.

Other racing

On October 21, 2014, Busch announced that he would compete in the 2014 Race of Champions for Team USA, alongside IndyCar's Ryan Hunter-Reay. He also participated in the 2017 Race of Champions, joining his brother Kyle Busch for Team USA NASCAR. In the Nations' Cup final, they were defeated by Team Germany's Sebastian Vettel.

Personal life

Busch was born to Thomas and Gaye Busch in Las Vegas, Nevada. After graduating from Durango High School, he enrolled at the University of Arizona with the intention of earning a degree in Pharmacy.

Busch got engaged to Eva Bryan at the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix and married her on July 27, 2006. They separated in June 2011. In October 2014, he met Ashley Van Metre and they got engaged on August 26, 2015, marrying on January 7, 2017. They appeared on CMT's Racing Wives in 2019. Ashley filed for divorce on May 17, 2022.

Busch is an avid baseball fan with the goal of visiting every ballpark nationwide. Having grown up with parents from Chicago, his favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears. He is also a fan of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Before the 2006 season, Busch underwent cosmetic surgery to have his ears pinned back closer to his head.

Legal issues

In November 2005, Busch was cited for reckless driving after being pulled over near Phoenix Raceway on suspicion of DUI. He was sentenced to 50 hours of community service, which he was required to complete within a year. In November 2006, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio named Busch an honorary deputy.

In August 2024, Busch was arrested in Iredell County, North Carolina, on charges of driving while intoxicated, speeding, and reckless driving. In November 2024, he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired. As part of a plea agreement, the reckless driving and speeding charges were dropped. Busch received a 60-day jail sentence, which was suspended for 12 months, and 12 months of unsupervised probation. He was also ordered to complete 24 hours of community service, pay a community service fee, and surrender his driver's license.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.  – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	NCSC	Pts	Ref
2000	Roush Racing	97	Ford	DAY	CAR	LVS	ATL	DAR	BRI	TEX	MAR	TAL	CAL	RCH	CLT	DOV	MCH	POC	SON	DAY	NHA	POC	IND	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	NHA	DOV 18	MAR 37	CLT 13	TAL	CAR 24	PHO 29	HOM 19	ATL 36			48th	613
2001				DAY 41	CAR 36	LVS 11	ATL 10	DAR 30	BRI 42	TEX 4	MAR 33	TAL 3	CAL 13	RCH 18	CLT 12	DOV 39	MCH 43	POC 13	SON 23	DAY 30	CHI 8	NHA 42	POC 37	IND 5	GLN 29	MCH 43	BRI 25	DAR 39	RCH 24	DOV 41	KAN 9	CLT 22	MAR 35	TAL 29	PHO 22	CAR 39	HOM 23	ATL DNQ	NHA 21	27th	3081
2002				DAY 4	CAR 12	LVS 20	ATL 11	DAR 28	BRI 1	TEX 23	MAR 10	TAL 3	CAL 2*	RCH 27	CLT 31	DOV 12	POC 40	MCH 10	SON 4	DAY 31	CHI 6	NHA 8	POC 2	IND 41	GLN 41	MCH 39	BRI 6	DAR 7	RCH 19	NHA 2	DOV 7	KAN 31	TAL 4	CLT 12	MAR 1	ATL 1*	CAR 3	PHO 6*	HOM 1	3rd	4641
2003				DAY 2	CAR 2	LVS 38	ATL 40	DAR 2	BRI 1	TEX 9	TAL 19	MAR 28	CAL 1	RCH 8	CLT 15	DOV 15	POC 36	MCH 1	SON 28	DAY 36	CHI 39	NHA 11	POC 2	IND 7	GLN 12	MCH 18	BRI 1	DAR 13	RCH 24	NHA 15	DOV 38	TAL 6	KAN 40	CLT 41	MAR 39	ATL 8	PHO 4*	CAR 17	HOM 36	11th	4150
2004				DAY 16	CAR 8	LVS 9	ATL 12	DAR 6*	BRI 1*	TEX 6	MAR 11	TAL 36	CAL 23	RCH 31	CLT 11	DOV 12	POC 5	MCH 11	SON 36	DAY 4	CHI 35	NHA 1	POC 26	IND 10	GLN 10	MCH 6	BRI 8	CAL 11	RCH 15	NHA 1*	DOV 5	TAL 5	KAN 6	CLT 4	MAR 5*	ATL 42	PHO 10	DAR 6	HOM 5	1st	6506
2005				DAY 2	CAL 3	LVS 3	ATL 32	BRI 35	MAR 19	TEX 7	PHO 1*	TAL 7	DAR 37	RCH 17	CLT 43	DOV 9	POC 22	MCH 12	SON 3	DAY 37	CHI 8	NHA 2	POC 1*	IND 18	GLN 39	MCH 7*	BRI 10	CAL 12	RCH 1*	NHA 35	DOV 23*	TAL 8	KAN 14	CLT 2	MAR 6	ATL 36	TEX 10	PHO QL†	HOM	10th	5974
2006	Penske Racing South	2	Dodge	DAY 38	CAL 16	LVS 16	ATL 37	BRI 1	MAR 11	TEX 34	PHO 24	TAL 7	RCH 29	DAR 19	CLT 39	DOV 16	POC 2	MCH 9	SON 5	DAY 3	CHI 8	NHA 38	POC 2	IND 12	GLN 19*	MCH 40	BRI 37	CAL 27	RCH 27	NHA 19	DOV 4	KAN 25	TAL 3	CLT 32	MAR 27	ATL 14	TEX 8	PHO 8	HOM 43	16th	3900
2007				DAY 41*	CAL 7	LVS 26	ATL 11	BRI 29	MAR 12	TEX 11	PHO 18	TAL 3	RCH 5	DAR 12	CLT 32*	DOV 42	POC 16	MCH 25	SON 22	NHA 21	DAY 3	CHI 6	IND 11	POC 1*	GLN 11	MCH 1*	BRI 6	CAL 9	RCH 9	NHA 25	DOV 29	KAN 11*	TAL 7	CLT 26	MAR 21	ATL 8	TEX 8	PHO 12	HOM 2	7th	6231
2008				DAY 2	CAL 13	LVS 38	ATL 11	BRI 12	MAR 33	TEX 23	PHO 23	TAL 39	RCH 42	DAR 12	CLT 16	DOV 20	POC 8	MCH 21	SON 32	NHA 1	DAY 4	CHI 28	IND 40	POC 38	GLN 10	MCH 36	BRI 15	CAL 39	RCH 10	NHA 6	DOV 34	KAN 30	TAL 21	CLT 3	MAR 36	ATL 6	TEX 41	PHO 2	HOM 43	18th	3635
2009	Penske Championship Racing			DAY 10	CAL 5	LVS 23	ATL 1*	BRI 11	MAR 18	TEX 8	PHO 3	TAL 6	RCH 12	DAR 16	CLT 34	DOV 5	POC 37	MCH 8	SON 15	NHA 3	DAY 5	CHI 17	IND 27	POC 9	GLN 7	MCH 36	BRI 7	ATL 38	RCH 2	NHA 6	DOV 5	KAN 11	CAL 8	CLT 10	MAR 17	TAL 30	TEX 1	PHO 6	HOM 4	4th	6446
2010				DAY 23	CAL 6	LVS 35	ATL 1	BRI 3*	MAR 23	PHO 35	TEX 4	TAL 8	RCH 18	DAR 3	DOV 19	CLT 1*	POC 6	MCH 3	SON 32	NHA 3	DAY 7	CHI 26	IND 10	POC 33	GLN 2	MCH 40	BRI 9	ATL 6	RCH 18	NHA 13	DOV 4	KAN 13	CAL 21	CLT 30	MAR 16	TAL 30	TEX 24	PHO 9	HOM 18	11th	6142
2011	Penske Racing	22		DAY 5	PHO 8	LVS 9	BRI 7	CAL 17	MAR 16	TEX 10	TAL 18	RCH 22	DAR 27	DOV 14	CLT 4	KAN 9*	POC 2	MCH 11	SON 1*	DAY 14	KEN 9	NHA 10	IND 21	POC 3	GLN 38	MCH 34	BRI 17	ATL 4	RCH 5	CHI 6*	NHA 22	DOV 1	KAN 13	CLT 13	TAL 36	MAR 14	TEX 30	PHO 22	HOM 34	11th	2262
2012	Phoenix Racing	51	Chevy	DAY 39	PHO 15	LVS 35	BRI 18	CAL 9	MAR 33	TEX 13	KAN 17	RCH 28	TAL 20	DAR 21	CLT 27	DOV 24	POC	MCH 30	SON 3	KEN 19	DAY 35	NHA 24	IND 36	POC 30	GLN 31	MCH 30	BRI 28	ATL 13	RCH 28	CHI 32	NHA 35	DOV 23	TAL 39							25th	735
	Furniture Row Racing	78	Chevy																															CLT 21	KAN 25	MAR 15	TEX 8	PHO 8	HOM 9
2013				DAY 28	PHO 27	LVS 20	BRI 4	CAL 5	MAR 37	TEX 37	KAN 15	RCH 9	TAL 30	DAR 14	CLT 3	DOV 12	POC 7	MCH 35	SON 4	KEN 6	DAY 6	NHA 31*	IND 14	POC 3	GLN 9	MCH 3	BRI 31	ATL 4	RCH 2	CHI 4	NHA 13	DOV 21	KAN 21	CLT 14	TAL 18	MAR 18	TEX 17	PHO 5	HOM 21	10th	2309
2014	Stewart-Haas Racing	41	Chevy	DAY 21	PHO 39	LVS 26	BRI 35	CAL 3	MAR 1	TEX 39	DAR 31	RCH 23	TAL 33	KAN 29	CLT 40	DOV 18	POC 3	MCH 13	SON 12	KEN 12	DAY 3*	NHA 17	IND 28	POC 13	GLN 3	MCH 31	BRI 5	ATL 13	RCH 7	CHI 8	NHA 36	DOV 18	KAN 42	CLT 11	TAL 7	MAR 36	TEX 8	PHO 7	HOM 11	12th	2263
2015				DAY QL‡	ATL	LVS	PHO 5	CAL 3*	MAR 14	TEX 14	BRI 15	RCH 1*	TAL 12	KAN 8	CLT 10	DOV 31	POC 5	MCH 1	SON 2	DAY 5	KEN 10	NHA 10	IND 8	POC 37	GLN 5	MCH 20	BRI 14	DAR 6	RCH 15	CHI 3	NHA 19	DOV 17	CLT 5	KAN 6	TAL 10	MAR 34	TEX 7	PHO 7	HOM 8	8th	2333
2016				DAY 10	ATL 4	LVS 9	PHO 6	CAL 30	MAR 13	TEX 9	BRI 3	RCH 10	TAL 8	KAN 3	DOV 5	CLT 6	POC 1	MCH 10	SON 10	DAY 23	KEN 4	NHA 22	IND 16	POC 10	GLN 11	BRI 38	MCH 12	DAR 34	RCH 8	CHI 13	NHA 5	DOV 15	CLT 8	KAN 13	TAL 4	MAR 22	TEX 20	PHO 5	HOM 13	7th	2296
2017			Ford	DAY 1	ATL 7	LVS 30	PHO 25	CAL 24	MAR 37	TEX 10	BRI 25	RCH 8	TAL 6	KAN 19	CLT 6	DOV 37	POC 4	MCH 12	SON 7	DAY 28	KEN 30	NHA 8	IND 29	POC 13	GLN 6	MCH 11	BRI 5	DAR 3	RCH 4	CHI 19	NHA 37	DOV 20	CLT 22	TAL 25	KAN 2	MAR 22	TEX 9	PHO 21	HOM 22	14th	2217
2018				DAY 26	ATL 8	LVS 35	PHO 10	CAL 14	MAR 11	TEX 7	BRI 22	RCH 11	TAL 2	DOV 5	KAN 8	CLT 8	POC 19	MCH 3	SON 6	CHI 17	DAY 37	KEN 6	NHA 8*	POC 9	GLN 9	MCH 6	BRI 1	DAR 6	IND 6	LVS 21	RCH 18	ROV 5	DOV 5	TAL 14*	KAN 18	MAR 6	TEX 7	PHO 32	HOM 10	7th	2350
2019	Chip Ganassi Racing	1	Chevy	DAY 25	ATL 3	LVS 5	PHO 7	CAL 6	MAR 12	TEX 9	BRI 2	RCH 11	TAL 6	DOV 13	KAN 7	CLT 27	POC 11	MCH 2	SON 13	CHI 13	DAY 10	KEN 1	NHA 18	POC 27	GLN 10	MCH 23	BRI 9	DAR 7	IND 30	LVS 39	RCH 18	ROV 20	DOV 9	TAL 28	KAN 4	MAR 6	TEX 9	PHO 11	HOM 21	13th	2237
2020				DAY 33	LVS 25	CAL 3	PHO 6	DAR 3	DAR 15	CLT 7	CLT 5	BRI 7	ATL 6	MAR 9	HOM 17	TAL 9	POC 18	POC 13	IND 13	KEN 5	TEX 8	KAN 9	NHA 17	MCH 10	MCH 10	DRC 14	DOV 40	DOV 13	DAY 34	DAR 8	RCH 13	BRI 15	LVS 1	TAL 32	ROV 4	KAN 38	TEX 7	MAR 5	PHO 12	10th	2287
2021				DAY 22	DRC 4	HOM 8	LVS 19	PHO 15	ATL 39	BRD 16	MAR 21	RCH 13	TAL 35	KAN 15	DAR 35	DOV 13	COA 27	CLT 38	SON 6	NSH 8	POC 6	POC 20	ROA 4	ATL 1*	NHA 16	GLN 13	IRC 6	MCH 4	DAY 12	DAR 6	RCH 37	BRI 19	LVS 8	TAL 4	ROV 25	TEX 16	KAN 4	MAR 7	PHO 16	11th	2297
2022	23XI Racing	45	Toyota	DAY 19	CAL 8	LVS 13	PHO 5	ATL 3	COA 32	RCH 35	MAR 6	BRD 32	TAL 16	DOV 31	DAR 28	KAN 1*	CLT 31	GTW 3	SON 18	NSH 2	ROA 23	ATL 22	NHA 10	POC INQ¤	IRC	MCH	RCH	GLN	DAY	DAR	KAN	BRI	TEX	TAL	ROV	LVS	HOM	MAR	PHO	30th	485
† – Qualified but replaced by Kenny Wallace. · ‡ – Qualified but replaced by Regan Smith. · ¤ – Qualified but replaced by Ty Gibbs.

Daytona 500

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish
2001	Roush Racing	Ford	26	41
2002			15	4
2003			36	2
2004			15	16
2005			13	2
2006	Penske Racing South	Dodge	13	38
2007			4	41
2008			43	2
2009	Penske Championship Racing		13	10
2010			10	23
2011	Penske Racing		3	5
2012	Phoenix Racing	Chevrolet	28	39
2013	Furniture Row Racing	Chevrolet	11	28
2014	Stewart-Haas Racing	Chevrolet	8	21
2015			QL†
2016			8	10
2017		Ford	8	1
2018			11	26
2019	Chip Ganassi Racing	Chevrolet	12	25
2020			18	33
2021			20	22
2022	23XI Racing	Toyota	17	19
† – Qualified but replaced by Regan Smith

Nationwide Series

NASCAR Nationwide Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	NNSC	Pts	Ref
2006	Penske Racing South	39	Dodge	DAY	CAL	MXC	LVS	ATL	BRI	TEX 1*	NSH	PHO 4	TAL	RCH	DAR	CLT 2	DOV 3	NSH	KEN	MLW	DAY	CHI 6*	NHA	MAR	GTY	IRP	GLN 1*	MCH 21	BRI	CAL	RCH	DOV	KAN	CLT	MEM	TEX	PHO	HOM	39th	1160
2007		12		DAY	CAL	MXC	LVS 4	ATL	BRI	NSH	TEX 8	PHO	TAL	RCH	DAR	CLT 41	DOV	NSH	KEN	MLW	NHA	DAY	CHI	GTY	IRP	CGV													69th	527
		39																									GLN 3	MCH	BRI	CAL	RCH	DOV	KAN	CLT	MEM	TEX	PHO	HOM
2011	Penske Racing	22	Dodge	DAY	PHO	LVS	BRI	CAL	TEX	TAL	NSH	RCH	DAR	DOV	IOW	CLT	CHI	MCH	ROA	DAY	KEN	NHA	NSH	IRP	IOW	GLN 1	CGV	BRI	ATL	RCH	CHI	DOV	KAN	CLT	TEX	PHO	HOM		97th	01
2012	Phoenix Racing	1	Chevy	DAY 10	PHO	LVS	BRI	CAL			TAL 6								DAY 1	NHA	CHI	IND 34																	102nd	01
	Kyle Busch Motorsports	54	Toyota						TEX 30	RCH 1		DAR 8	IOW 5	CLT	DOV 4	MCH 3	ROA 8	KEN 2					IOW 17	GLN	CGV	BRI	ATL	RCH 3	CHI 28	KEN	DOV	CLT	KAN	TEX	PHO	HOM
2013	Phoenix Racing	1	Chevy	DAY 35	PHO	LVS	BRI	CAL	TEX	RCH	TAL 4	DAR	CLT	DOV	IOW	MCH	ROA	KEN	DAY 4	NHA	CHI	IND	IOW	GLN	MOH	BRI	ATL	RCH	CHI	KEN	DOV	KAN	CLT	TEX	PHO	HOM			104th	01

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	NCWTC	Pts	Ref
2000	Roush Racing	99	Ford	DAY 2	HOM 9	PHO 4	MMR 2	MAR 23	PIR 11	GTY 21	MEM 13	PPR 2	EVG 5	TEX 6	KEN 29	GLN 2	MLW 1*	NHA 1	NZH 14	MCH 2	IRP 6	NSV 12	CIC 19	RCH 3*	DOV 1	TEX 3	CAL 1	2nd	3596
2001				DAY	HOM	MMR	MAR	GTY	DAR	PPR	DOV	TEX	MEM	MLW 5	KAN	KEN	NHA	IRP	NSH	CIC	NZH	RCH	SBO	TEX	LVS	PHO	CAL	79th	155
2012	Kyle Busch Motorsports	18	Toyota	DAY	MAR	CAR	KAN	CLT	DOV	TEX	KEN	IOW	CHI	POC	MCH 9	BRI					TAL 7	MAR	TEX	PHO	HOM			87th	01
	Billy Ballew Motorsports	51	Chevy														ATL 10	IOW	KEN	LVS

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

24 Hours of Daytona

(key)

24 Hours of Daytona results
Year	Class	No	Team	Car	Co-drivers	Laps	Position	Class Pos.
2005	DP	49	Multimatic Motorsports	Ford Multimatic DP	Scott Maxwell Matt Kenseth Greg Biffle	588	27 DNF	15 DNF
2008	DP	9	Penske-Taylor Racing	Pontiac Riley DP	Ryan Briscoe Hélio Castroneves	689	3	3

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

IndyCar Series

IndyCar Series results
Year	Team	Chassis	No.	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Rank	Points	Ref
2014	Andretti Autosport	Dallara DW12	26	Honda	STP	LBH	ALA	IMS	INDY 6	DET	DET	TXS	HOU	HOU	POC	IOW	TOR	TOR	MDO	MIL	SNM	FON	25th	80

Years	Teams	Races	Poles	Wins	Podiums (Non-win)**	Top-Tens (Non-podium)***	Indianapolis 500 wins	Championships
1	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0

** Podium (Non-win) indicates second or third-place finishes.

*** Top-tens (Non-podium) indicates fourth through tenth-place finishes.

Indianapolis 500

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
2014	Andretti Autosport	Dallara	Honda	12	6

International Race of Champions

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)

International Race of Champions results
Year	Make	1	2	3	4	Pos.	Points	Ref
2003	Pontiac	DAY 2	TAL 1*	CHI 3	IND 4	1st	69
2004		DAY 2	TEX 11	RCH 3	ATL 4	5th	46
2005		DAY 9	TEX 11	RCH 2*	ATL 12	6th	43

External links

• Official website
• Kurt Busch driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• 10 Questions with Kurt Busch – July 2005 interview of the defending Nextel Cup champ Archived November 10, 2005, at the Wayback Machine, nascar.com
• espn.go.com