Kurt Thomas Busch was born on August 4,1978 and is an American professional auto racing driver.
159 Facts About Kurt Busch
2.
Kurt Busch last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, driving the No 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing.
3.
Kurt Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the 2017 Daytona 500 winner.
4.
Kurt Busch is the older brother of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.
5.
Kurt Busch is the winner of thirty-four Cup races and won his championship in the first season using the "Chase for the Cup" points format.
6.
Kurt Busch was born to Thomas and Gaye Kurt Busch in Las Vegas, Nevada.
7.
At the age of six, Kurt Busch was accompanying his father to the track and competing in kart racing.
8.
In 1994, his first full year as a driver, Kurt Busch won ten consecutive races at ten different tracks.
9.
Kurt Busch became engaged to girlfriend Eva Bryan while attending the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix.
10.
Kurt Busch announced on June 30,2011, "Those in the NASCAR community have been aware for some time now that we are no longer together and we are legally separated".
11.
The announcement came days after Kurt Busch kissed another woman in Victory Lane celebration following a win at Sonoma Raceway.
12.
In October 2014 at Martinsville, Kurt Busch was introduced to polo player Ashley Van Metre by her sister, who was a friend of Kurt Busch.
13.
On May 17,2022 it was announced that Ashley Kurt Busch had filed for divorce.
14.
Kurt Busch is an avid baseball fan and stated the goal of visiting every ballpark nationwide.
15.
Kurt Busch is a close friend of famous entrepreneur Felix Sabates, who co-owned Chip Ganassi Racing, and had a successful racing team SABCO Racing.
16.
In 2012 when Kurt Busch went to drive for Phoenix Racing, he co-credited Sabates as having helped him convince James Finch to hire him.
17.
Kurt Busch's first racing experience was in a Dwarf car at age 14 at Pahrump Valley Speedway.
18.
Kurt Busch earned his big break after Chris Trickle was wounded in an unsolved shooting.
19.
Kurt Busch gained national exposure while competing against Ron Hornaday Jr.
20.
Kurt Busch's team went on to win the 1998 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series Rookie of the Year.
21.
Kurt Busch followed up by winning the series championship in 1999.
22.
Kurt Busch won four races and finished runner-up to teammate Greg Biffle in the championship standings, as well as winning Rookie of the Year honors.
23.
Roush Racing announced during the 2000 season that Kurt Busch was being promoted to the Winston Cup Series to replace Chad Little in Roush's No 97 Ford for the 2001 season.
24.
Little ended up being released early, and Kurt Busch took over the No 97 John Deere-sponsored Ford at Dover in September 2000.
25.
Kurt Busch ran seven of the final eight races with crew chief Jeff Hammond.
26.
Kurt Busch began the 2001 season driving an unsponsored car after John Deere pulled out of sponsoring the 97 following the 2000 season.
27.
Kurt Busch was the last remaining driver to compete against Earnhardt in a Cup race when he retired.
28.
Kurt Busch scored his best finish of third at the spring Talladega race, which was three weeks after scoring his first career Top 5 finish at Texas, and he added a fifth-place in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
29.
Kurt Busch had some unlucky breaks over the course of the year, especially in the second half where he crashed out of the Southern 500 at Darlington, where he led 74 laps; at Martinsville, where he let 38 laps before cutting a tire in heavy traffic, which ended up causing significant damage to the race car; at Rockingham, where he battled overheating issues despite leading 45 laps; and in the penultimate race at Atlanta, where he failed to qualify.
30.
Kurt Busch closed the season with a 21st-place finish at the postponed event at New Hampshire, finishing 27th in points and second behind Kevin Harvick for Cup rookie of the year.
31.
Kurt Busch claimed his first victory in the Food City 500 at Bristol, after battling hard with rival Jimmy Spencer on worn tires.
32.
Kurt Busch finished the season particularly strong, winning three of the final five races and finishing third and sixth, and leading many laps in the next two.
33.
The 2002 season saw Kurt Busch become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the most races in his first-ever winning season with four.
34.
Kurt Busch is one of only two drivers to accomplish this feat, along with Carl Edwards, who did it three years later in 2005.
35.
However, inconsistent results later in the season resulted in Kurt Busch falling out of the Top 10 in points; he finished in 11th place with nine Top 5's and 14 Top 10's, although he collected over again that year.
36.
Kurt Busch held the lead heading into the final corner but Craven managed to pull almost even exiting turn four.
37.
In 2004, Kurt Busch won three races, two poles, and the inaugural NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, the first year NASCAR held "The Chase for the Championship".
38.
At Homestead for the final race of the season, Kurt Busch nearly lost the championship.
39.
On lap 93, Kurt Busch entered the access road in turns 3 and 4 that leads to pit road telling his crew that he has a flat right front tire.
40.
Kurt Busch fell to third in the standings but was able to get his positions back and won the championship.
41.
In 2005, midway through the season, Kurt Busch announced that he would be leaving Roush Racing at the end of the season and would replace Rusty Wallace in the No 2 Miller Lite-sponsored Dodge for Penske Racing South.
42.
Kurt Busch won three races during the 2005 season, along with nine Top 5's and 18 Top 10's in 34 races.
43.
Kurt Busch was released from Roush Racing at the end of 2005 and joined Penske Racing South in 2006.
44.
Kurt Busch had asked team owner Jack Roush to let him out of his contract at the end of 2005, but Roush initially refused.
45.
Kurt Busch appealed and a misunderstanding on the police's part was cleared before the races but the parking penalty was held in place.
46.
Kurt Busch celebrated the victory by getting out of his car and making a snow angel on the track, due to snow that had fallen at the track that weekend.
47.
Kurt Busch won six poles and had seven Top 5's and 12 Top 10 finishes but finished 16th in the final standings.
48.
Kurt Busch made his Busch Series debut for Penske in the No 39 Dodge at Texas Motor Speedway, winning in his first race.
49.
Kurt Busch ran six more races that season and picked up a second win at Watkins Glen International by holding off Robby Gordon on the final lap.
50.
In victory circle, Kurt Busch thanked Gordon for a fight for victory and said that the struggle reminded him of his 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington when Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch by one inch to win the race after a 2 lap-long struggle to the checkers.
51.
Kurt Busch ran four more Busch races, earning 2 top-five and 3 top-ten finishes.
52.
At the 2008 Daytona 500, Kurt Busch was contending to win and had a fast car on the final lap capable to win.
53.
On June 29,2008, Kurt Busch broke a 29-race winless streak at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was called due to rain on lap 284.
54.
Kurt Busch began his 2009 season at the 2009 Daytona 500, he was involved in a wreck on lap 124 when Dale Earnhardt Jr.
55.
Kurt Busch then spun into the grass along with eight other drivers including his brother Kyle.
56.
Kurt Busch made numerous pit stops to repair the car and was able to finish tenth.
57.
Kurt Busch ran in the top five most of the race and finished fifth.
58.
Kurt Busch led most of the race the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500, leading 235 of 325 laps and getting his nineteenth Sprint Cup Series victory.
59.
Kurt Busch led more laps in the race than he did in the entire 2008 season.
60.
At Las Vegas, he and his younger brother Kyle had a touching moment when Kyle Kurt Busch won at Las Vegas, their hometown.
61.
Kurt Busch remained in the Top 5 in points for the rest of the season.
62.
Kurt Busch picked up another win at the 2009 Dickies 500 after his brother Kyle ran out of fuel with two laps to go.
63.
On May 22,2010, Kurt Busch won the 26th Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
64.
Kurt Busch then followed it up by winning the Coca-Cola 600 the following weekend, becoming only the seventh driver to win both in the same year.
65.
Kurt Busch eventually made the Chase being seeded fifth in points.
66.
Kurt Busch, amazingly, finished seventh at Daytona at the Coke Zero 400 after wrecking three times in the last 12 laps.
67.
Kurt Busch earned his first Budweiser Shootout win after Denny Hamlin went below the yellow line at the end of the race at Daytona.
68.
Kurt Busch would go on to win the 2011 Gatorade Duel 1, and because of polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr.
69.
Kurt Busch won the pole for and led most of the race at Kansas, for 152 laps.
70.
Kurt Busch later said that the dismissal was mostly because, following his engine blow-up in Homestead, he was frustrated that the No 22 team was unable to compete for championships, and he and Penske couldn't agree on whether the problem was the car or the driver.
71.
However, Kurt Busch said that he maintains a friendship with Penske.
72.
Kurt Busch talked to Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing and Richard Childress Racing to see if any rides were available at those teams.
73.
Kurt Busch ran a limited Nationwide Series schedule for the team.
74.
Kurt Busch's car was one of the stronger performers, running near the front and leading for a few laps.
75.
At Darlington, Kurt Busch was turned with Ryan Newman, and both drivers' days were ended.
76.
Kurt Busch was fined $50,000 and put on a five-race probation and Newman was not penalized.
77.
On June 4,2012, Kurt Busch feuded with Justin Allgaier at the Nationwide event at Dover and after talking to his boss and brother Kyle.
78.
Kurt Busch was already on probation for the confrontation with Newman and his crew following the May 12,2012, Sprint Cup race at Darlington and for driving recklessly through Newman's pit stall.
79.
On July 6,2012, Kurt Busch won the Nationwide Series Jalapeno 250 at Daytona by passing Austin Dillon on the final lap.
80.
Kurt Busch was parked by NASCAR after driving away from the safety officials who were trying to assist him and he would not stop his car even though NASCAR was telling him to do so.
81.
On September 24,2012, it was announced that Kurt Busch would drive the No 78 Chevrolet SS for Furniture Row Racing for the 2013 season, replacing Regan Smith.
82.
Kurt Busch had a 25th-place finish the following week at Kansas.
83.
Kurt Busch later rebounded with three consecutive Top 10 finishes at Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead to end the season.
84.
Kurt Busch started the 2013 season crashing in the Sprint Unlimited on lap 14, finishing in 13th place.
85.
Kurt Busch finished fifth in the Budweiser Duel, but poor handling made him finish the Daytona 500 in 28th place, five laps down.
86.
Kurt Busch did not improve much the next week at Phoenix, where he finished one lap down in twenty-seventh place.
87.
Kurt Busch then had a twentieth-place finish at Las Vegas.
88.
At Fontana, Kurt Busch went a lap down briefly after being penalized for speeding during green-flag pit stops, but he surged back in the last laps to finish in third place behind his brother Kyle Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
89.
Kurt Busch crashed early in the race and after repairing his damages, successfully took the lucky dog free pass.
90.
Kurt Busch ended up starting second, but still on the front row.
91.
At Richmond, Kurt Busch led for 36 laps and contended for victory.
92.
Kurt Busch had bumped Stewart on the restart causing Stewart to finish out of the top-ten.
93.
Kurt Busch finished in ninth place and said to reporters that he did not intentionally hit Stewart and said he was surprised and disappointed when Stewart retaliated after the checkers.
94.
At Talladega, Kurt Busch led two laps and was in the top-ten on lap 182 when he was collected in a large pileup on the back straightaway.
95.
Kurt Busch took the worst damage in the crash, as JJ Yeley got loose from contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
96.
At Darlington, Kurt Busch won his first pole position of the year.
97.
At the All-Star race, Kurt Busch started up front and led 29 laps, winning two of the four 20 lap segments, with brother Kyle winning the other two.
98.
However, a poor pit stop by both Kurt Busch brothers was responsible for causing them to lose the lead and race to Jimmie Johnson for the final ten-lap shootout.
99.
At the Coca-Cola 600 a week later, Kurt Busch started second on the outside of the front row.
100.
Kurt Busch then had a 12th-place finish at Dover and a seventh-place showing at Pocono.
101.
At Sonoma, Kurt Busch got his next top-five finish with a fourth-place finish, after leading fifteen laps, then battling back from a lap down after a pair of speeding penalties on pit road.
102.
Kurt Busch finished sixth and followed this up with another sixth-place finish at the Coke Zero 400.
103.
However the next week at Loudon, Kurt Busch started second and led 102 laps before he was turned and wrecked by Matt Kenseth and finished 31st.
104.
At Chicagoland, Kurt Busch opened the Chase with a fourth-place finish.
105.
Kurt Busch then had a 13th-place finish at New Hampshire.
106.
At Dover, Kurt Busch finished 21st, three laps down, after he had to pit for a loose wheel.
107.
At Kansas, Kurt Busch was forced to start at the rear of the field when he crashed in practice and had to bring out a backup car.
108.
Kurt Busch managed to work his way through the field to finish second.
109.
Kurt Busch would go on to finish tenth in the final standings.
110.
Also in 2013, Kurt Busch planned to drive the No 1 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series for Phoenix Racing, competing in sixteen events; in the event he would run only three races during the season, wrecking at Daytona but having top-ten finishes at Talladega and the second race at Daytona.
111.
Kurt Busch had his outbreaking race for his new team at Fontana.
112.
Kurt Busch led a bit of the race after Jimmie Johnson blew a tire with 7 laps to go.
113.
Kurt Busch led on the restart against teammate Tony Stewart but lost the lead on the final lap after allowing Kyle Busch to slip past and win.
114.
The next week at the STP 500, on lap 43, Kurt Busch collided with Brad Keselowski on pit road during a caution, causing massive damage to Keselowski's car.
115.
Kurt Busch took the lead with 11 laps remaining, and kept it to win his first race since 2011, and first at Martinsville since 2002.
116.
At Darlington, while running in the top five with 3 laps to go, Kurt Busch got tapped from behind by Clint Bowyer and spun out, hitting a barrier head-on.
117.
Kurt Busch led 5 laps throughout the race and ran in the top five all day long.
118.
Kurt Busch ultimately finished third; his best finish since his win at Martinsville.
119.
Kurt Busch had a top-five finish at Pocono and Watkins Glen.
120.
Kurt Busch started his season on a rough note in the 2015 Sprint Unlimited when he got collected in 2 multi-car accidents.
121.
Kurt Busch went below the yellow line by accident and improved his spot.
122.
Kurt Busch was given a stop-and-go-penalty by officials which sent him to the back of the field for the final results.
123.
On February 20,2015, Kurt Busch was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR after a Delaware family court cited "more likely than not" that Kurt Busch had abused his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.
124.
Kurt Busch applied for reinstatement ten days after the Daytona 500 and began his reinstatement program.
125.
Additionally, Kurt Busch was granted a waiver by NASCAR, making him still eligible for the Chase if he won a race between then and the autumn Richmond event.
126.
At Auto Club, Kurt Busch won the pole and led the most laps, before being bumped back to third due to a last-lap pass by Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.
127.
The next week at Martinsville, Kurt Busch led early in the race.
128.
Kurt Busch faded to the tail end of the field mid-way.
129.
Kurt Busch briefly got penalized for moving lanes before the restart, but 20 laps later officials rescinded the penalty.
130.
Kurt Busch later took the checkers after a dominating performance at Richmond.
131.
Kurt Busch started the 2016 season bringing home a 10th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and winning two consecutive poles for Atlanta and Las Vegas.
132.
However, he was given the pole position for the former at Atlanta because his brother, Kyle Kurt Busch, earned that spot in qualifying but started dead-last after his time was disallowed due to failing post-qualifying inspection.
133.
Kurt Busch got his first and only victory of the season at Pocono, ironically the only race of the season when his crew chief Tony Gibson was suspended.
134.
Kurt Busch had a very consistent season, breaking a record for most consecutive lead-lap finishes to start the year.
135.
Kurt Busch's streak ended when he got his first DNF of the season during the 23rd race at Bristol after suffering contact from Joey Logano.
136.
Kurt Busch remained in the top ten in points throughout the year and finished 7th in the championship standings.
137.
Kurt Busch started off 2017 with a crash in the Advance Auto Parts Clash after Jimmie Johnson got loose and spun, collecting Kurt Busch.
138.
Kurt Busch struggled throughout the rest of the year, obtaining a 14th place in the standings with 6 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s and 7 DNFs.
139.
Kurt Busch started the 2018 season with the pole at Texas.
140.
Kurt Busch would get his only win of the season in the night race at Bristol, snapping a 58-race winless streak and locking him in the 2018 Playoffs.
141.
Kurt Busch's consistency had advanced him as far as the Round of 8 of the Playoffs before he was eliminated at Phoenix due to a late crash with Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott.
142.
On December 2,2018, Kurt Busch announced that he will not return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019.
143.
Kurt Busch scored his first win with CGR at Kentucky, beating his brother Kyle on the final restart.
144.
On November 2,2019, CGR officially announced that Kurt Busch has signed on with the No 1 team for at least two more years.
145.
Kurt Busch managed to make the 2020 playoffs without winning a race by staying consistent with four top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes.
146.
Kurt Busch scored his 32nd career win and his first of 2020 at Las Vegas; the win secured him a spot in the Round of 8.
147.
Kurt Busch started 2021 with 1 top-five and 2 top-10 finishes in the first three races his results dropped off; he would not finish in the top-10 again until the 16th race at Sonoma.
148.
Kurt Busch finished 6th and sparked a run of three consecutive top-eight finishes.
149.
Kurt Busch was eliminated from the playoffs following the conclusion of the Round of 16 at Bristol.
150.
Kurt Busch finished the season 11th in the points standings.
151.
Kurt Busch began his 2022 season with a 19th-place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500.
152.
At the Pocono race, Kurt Busch was not medically cleared after a crash during qualifying, and subsequently missed the last five races of the regular season.
153.
Kurt Busch began training in January 2011 under veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and obtained his NHRA Pro Stock competition license.
154.
Kurt Busch is only the fourth driver to cross over between NASCAR and NHRA, the other three being Tony Stewart, Richard Petty and John Andretti.
155.
In 2003, during CART's pre-season test at Sebring International Raceway, Kurt Busch tested a Champ Car for three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal.
156.
Kurt Busch did not comment on whether or not he was preparing for Indianapolis 500.
157.
Kurt Busch finished sixth and received praise from his fellow NASCAR racers for his finish.
158.
On October 21,2014, Kurt Busch announced he would race in the 2014 Race of Champions for Team USA alongside IndyCar's Ryan Hunter-Reay.
159.
Kurt Busch competed alongside his brother Kyle Busch in the 2017 Race of Champions for Team USA NASCAR, ultimately losing to Team Germany's Sebastian Vettel in the final round of the Nations' Cup.