The late Kyle Busch was training and coaching his son, Brexton Busch, from a tender age of just five. Now 11, he’s registered many wins, including the 2025 Golden Driller, in his racing portfolio. Despite being so successful, however, Kyle Busch once revealed that he wouldn’t want to race with his son in NASCAR, and for a very ‘rowdy-like’ reason.

“I just want to focus on myself, right? Like, I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to win races. But then if he’s out there, I’m going to be worried about him and, and, and in teaching him,” he had said in his 2021 interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger. Though it sounds selfish, Busch had a plan to mentor his son into racing.

By 2021, Kyle had won two Cup titles and raced on every Cup track. He was also the winningest driver across all national series. But he was far from done.

Still running for Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch won races every year until the 2023 season. Though Kyle dreaded racing his son, he had a plan: step away from Cup and race Late Models alongside Brexton.

“There might be a way where I retire from Cup racing and go race Late Models, where Brexton might be on his way up and is racing late models, and we spend a year together there,” he added. “And then after that, I’m probably going to be done and, and he’ll be, hopefully, on his way up.”

Brexton Busch was starting his professional career then. Despite being at the grassroots level, he won nine races across six tracks and the Millbridge Speedway Saturday Beginner Box Stock Championship, proving he was strong, just like his father. The advantage? Kyle Busch’s guidance helped him win races early in his career and has built him a sound foundation.

Brexton has since expanded beyond Sprint cars, winning the INEX Citrus County Winter Nationals Bandit Championship in 2024. While Kyle Busch was a loving father, he was strict with his son during training.

How Kyle Busch’s ‘hard truths’ helped Brexton improve

Kyle Busch uploaded a clip around the start of the 2026 season in which he was coaching Brexton right after a race.

“Super easy on entry,” he said to Brexton Busch. “Like, not even trying to get in the corner[…]you’re slow. Car not slow, you’re slow. Like, you’re so easy getting in the corner, you’re not even driving into the corner Brex. My point here is, that you have way more car potential than what you’re giving it.”

Kyle Busch captioned the clip: “You’re slow bro. Gotta deliver the hard truth to maximize potential.”

His record is impressive, built on determination and Kyle’s coaching.

Brexton has now built a solid racing foundation, but Kyle is no longer here to see it. Kyle Busch died on May 21, 2026, from pneumonia that developed into sepsis. It has been tough on the Busch family, as seen during the pre-race tribute at Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600. While Samantha struggled to hold back tears, Brexton stood beside her, offering comfort.

Brexton hasn’t had it easy, either. But the support he has been getting from the fans is massive, as many continue to pay strong tributes to NASCAR’s ‘rowdy.’ Meanwhile, Richard Childress Racing also announced retiring the #8, preserving it for Kyle’s son, whenever he makes his NASCAR debut. Seeing his results so far, it should only take him a few more years.