Kurt Busch is one of the most iconic drivers that the NASCAR factory has churned out in the last few decades. He journeyed through a career of extreme ups and downs since making his debut in 2000 and made a name for himself at the highest level of the sport. He recently remembered his rookie season with Roush Racing and drew the response of his then-teammate Greg Biffle on Instagram.
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Busch got his shot in the Craftsman Truck Series with Roush Racing in an interesting way. The team enlisted development drivers through an elimination-style program called Gong Show. Busch won this program and earned himself a Ford F-150 in 2000. He got to race alongside Greg Biffle, and boy, did he impress the world of motorsports right from the beginning.
He achieved four wins that year, finished second in the standings behind Biffle, and was named Rookie of the Year. He remembered in his post that fans used to call him and Biffle “The Killer Bees” because they used to run at the front of the pack every weekend. Biffle caught sight of this and commented, “Those were the good days!! Let’s do it again soon!”
Busch’s words also sent fans down memory lane. One follower wrote, “You are still quite young – but you will always be a legend in motor racing!!” Busch must have appreciated that. Another comment said, “The beginning of it all for you! Love it!” The post included images of the truck that he drove and footage of a race from that season. It certainly struck a chord.
The nature of the fandom back in the late 1990s and early 2000s was far superior to what it is today. Stock car racing was red-hot back then, with icons like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. creating unreal spectacles week on week. One fan remembered how he’d bunked class to go watch a race at Daytona and saw a masterclass by Busch.
They said, “I ditched High School to watch the Daytona truck race in your rookie season.” That was when Roush Racing was at the peak of its powers. They were always in contention for wins and championships — something one fan also pointed out: “Early 2000s were a good time to be a Roush Racing fan.” Fortunately, the team is slowly getting back to that stage in 2025.
Kurt Busch climbed the ranks and became a Cup Series driver for the team in 2001. He would eventually go on to secure the Cup Series championship in 2004 and mark his name in history forever.
