“Even Kyle Larson Comes Back”: Kyle Busch Explains What the Tulsa Shootout Teaches Young Drivers Like His Son Brexton

Neha Dwivedi | 01/01/2026
Nov 5, 2023; Avondale, Arizona, USA; Brexton Busch, son of NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch during the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway

Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton, are set to immerse themselves once again in the cauldron of the Tulsa Shootout. With heat races already in motion, Busch offered insight into why the event serves as both a proving and learning ground for young drivers. He emphasized the Shootout’s value by pointing to Kyle Larson, who routinely spends his offseasons chasing dirt-track competition and honing skills that translate across disciplines.

For the fourth consecutive year, Kyle Busch returns to the Tulsa Shootout, lining up alongside his son. Much like last season, Busch will spread his efforts across the four premier divisions, Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing, diving headfirst into a schedule that leaves little margin for comfort.

Brexton, meanwhile, steps onto a broader stage of his own. The younger Busch will contest all four primary classes and add the Restricted A-Class to his slate. One year ago, Brexton Busch etched his name into Shootout lore by claiming his first Golden Driller Trophy in the Jr. Sprint division.

Explaining why Tulsa remains an ideal classroom for his son, Busch said: “I mean, even Kyle Larson comes back and runs at Tulsa Shootout, right. There’s gotta be something to it, and just kinda getting out there, being on dirt, and being able sling sideways, be fast doing that car control, all the racecraft that you can learn here.

“And all these things, being ready for a lot of that stuff, the Aero deficiencies you get in traffic with big wings on them is certainly something to learn as well.”

Brexton echoed that mindset, outlining what he hopes to absorb from seasoned competitors such as his father and Larson. He emphasized learning proper lines, refining throttle control, and picking up the subtle tips and tricks that only experience can teach on a surface as demanding as Tulsa’s.

On track, the RCR driver opened his day with a composed drive in the A-Class heat, climbing from 10th to third. Brexton, watching closely, took mental notes as his father cut through traffic.

The Shootout will soon place both Busches on the same stage again, as they line up together for Winged Outlaw Race 182, with Kyle rolling off seventh and Brexton starting a couple of spots ahead in fifth. The draw counted an extra wrinkle when father and son discovered they had landed in the same A-Class heat, and that caught them both off guard, given the scale of the event, which features roughly 45 heat races.

Busch last competed at the Tulsa Shootout in January at the SageNet Center, again sharing the spotlight with Brexton. That week ended with the younger Busch delivering a commanding performance in the Junior Sprint A-Main, leading all 20 laps and securing his first Golden Driller Trophy.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Brexton Busch Kyle Busch Kyle Larson NASCAR Cup Series

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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