For years, Kyle Busch carried the mantle of NASCAR’s villain, a hard-nosed, combative presence who thrived on ruffling feathers. Yet that image has begun to shift. In recent seasons, the sport has seen another side of Busch, a devoted family man whose private life has reshaped his outlook on and off the track, with fatherhood presenting an entirely different kind of challenge.
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His son, Brexton, is making his mark in midget and Legends car racing, showing flashes of the same competitive fire. But unlike the all-or-nothing approach that fueled Busch’s own career, he is deliberately molding his son’s mindset toward competition and life.
Busch himself reinforced that sentiment when Rajah Caruth, through Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions segment, asked how fatherhood had altered his competitive nature. He said, “The fire I have to go out and be successful for me, to win and do everything, is the same as what I see in Brexton for himself.
“But I feel like my fire and desire I have for him is probably less, because I’m trying to instill in him the notion that you’re going to lose a hell of a lot more races than you’ll ever win. I was never taught that. I was taught ‘win or die.’
“I think there’s more to life than that. Now that I’ve been here for so long, I’ve gotten to understand that, which is good. He still has that ‘win or die’ notion, but I try to console him and tell him it’s OK!”
Busch even recalled a recent race, when Brexton returned to dirt racing after a two- or three-month break and finished second in the adult class. Busch told him, “Damn. All right. Good job.” He knew his son was frustrated, but the leader had been out of reach anyway.
Busch has long admitted that marrying Samantha and starting a family changed his life. He once confessed to still being a hothead and prone to “doing crazy stupid things” in Samantha’s presence, but it wasn’t until his children arrived that his mindset truly evolved.
Yet as much as he has softened for his kids, he has become fiercely protective of them, a trait that has occasionally landed him in trouble. As Samantha revealed on her Certified Oversharer podcast’s latest episode, Busch was kicked out of the Summer Shootout last year after confronting officials over a chaotic start.
She narrated that when a green flag was waved but caution lights stayed on, some kids slowed while others accelerated, leaving Brexton caught in the middle and knocked out. Busch argued that the children should be allowed to repair their cars and restart, but when officials refused, he lashed out, cussing them.
The outburst got him thrown out and fined $200. Initially unwilling to pay on principle, Busch eventually settled the fine so he could return to watch his son race. This year, he was back at the Shootout once again.
