Did you know Kurt Busch almost didn’t make it to NASCAR? We’re not talking about his college ambitions. When Busch won the NASCAR’s regional title, he was too busy to notice Jack Rousch watching him from the stands. And when Roush sent him an invite for the Gong Show, the team’s hunt for their next Truck Series driver, Kurt knew this was his opportunity. Unfortunately, competing with 14 drivers at Toledo didn’t go according to plan. “I don’t think my mind was right. “It wasn’t my best day,” Busch said later. However, Roush knew talent when he saw it. In a miracle, Roush gave him a second invite, this time for Phoenix, and Busch wasn’t going to miss twice. That’s where it all kicked off. Cup Series wins, titles, and now, inclusion in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

And just a week on from the announcement, Busch still can’t get over the honor he is about to receive. Writing in a post on X, Busch said, “Still feels surreal from one week ago, blue collar kid from Las Vegas who had a dream. I hope my story motivates kids and families, with a little bit of hard work and perseverance, it might pay off.”

Busch has a point. The only reason he started racing was that he started working on cars. Tom Busch, his father, bought Dwarf Cars for their family, but he had a condition. “You have to know the car before you can drive it,” he told his son.

For Kurt, although racing was in his blood, he had a different dream in mind initially. He wanted to become a pharmacist. Armed with a 3.6 high school GPA, he moved to the University of Arizona to study. But the racing bug couldn’t just leave him, could it? He dug ditches in the week to free up his weekends for racing, following in his father’s footsteps. “It was busy and hard at times,” Busch said at the time, “but it’s like anyone who loves racing — you do it in order to do what you love doing.” 

And that hard work paid off for him. During the 1997 Winter Heat Series at the Tucson Speedway, he went against names like Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and even Ron Hornaday Jr.! By the time Roush came calling, he had been dominating at local tracks!

That push continued even after joining Roush Racing. Remember his first Cup Series win? That didn’t happen in his rookie year. Despite having accolades running in Truck and a pole in his debut Cup year, Kurt struggled. He didn’t even finish in the Top 25 drivers list. “It was apparent that he wasn’t used to losing. But there’s a lot to learn when you come into this level of racing. It takes a lot of work and it takes some time. I’m not sure he realized all of that exactly when he came in,” Jack Roush said.

It was all this hard work that culminated in his first win. With his rookie year done, Kurt came to Bristol in 2002 with a purpose. He ran bumper-to-bumper with Jimmy Spencer and even caused a spin on his way to victory! “I’ve never seen anybody learn everything you have to learn in this sport as quickly as he did, and he knew what he was capable of. The passion that he brought to racing and trying to win sometimes just spilled over,” Roush said after the win.

Cut to 2025, and once the announcement about the Hall of Fame entry came, Busch was elated. “I felt like it was race mode. I had to put the emotional blinders on. For me, as just a blue-collar kid out of Vegas, I never would have imagined this. We were a family where it was just a hobby. It’s like a hobby to race, you know. It was just fun to go to the track as father and son. My dad had his car, and he helped me build mine, and you meet this guy or you meet this sponsor or you say thank you to this person, and the next thing you know — I mean, I’ll talk about this later on at the speech — but I’m running a Legend Car in 1999 at the (Las Vegas) Bullring in September of 1999. September of 2000, I’m in Jack Roush’s Cup car qualifying at Dover. Jeff Gordon’s next to me. Dale (Earnhardt) Senior’s behind me. I mean, that’s how fast things happened for me. I don’t know how. I don’t know why,” he said.

His brother joined in on the celebrations, recognising the achievement in his message. “What an incredible achievement to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame! Your dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport have truly paid off, and being a Cup Series Champion and Daytona 500 Champion is no small feat. I couldn’t be prouder of you! You’ve not only made a name for yourself on the racetrack but also inspired so many with your journey. This honor is a testament to your talent and perseverance.”

And the younger Busch sibling has something to celebrate too!

Kyle’s Fresh Deal with RCR

While Kurt’s basking in his Hall of Fame glow, his little brother Kyle Busch is making headlines of his own! Days after Kurt’s induction announcement, Kyle inked a one-year contract extension with Richard Childress Racing, locking him in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet through the 2026 season.

“We’re proud to continue our relationship with Kyle Busch and remain focused on our shared goals of winning races and championships together. Kyle is a tremendous racer and ambassador of the sport for our fans and partners. Everyone at RCR is committed to putting the pieces in place to enhance the competition side of our business,” said team owner Richard Childress.

Kyle’s performance in 2025 has been a mixed bag, but no one can deny his fire. He’s sitting 19th in points with one top-5 and four top-10s, showing he’s still got the magic, even if a 69-race winless streak—the longest of his career—has him itching for a return to victory lane. At the Coca-Cola 600, Kyle had a rough night, finishing 28th after a loose wheel, a pit-road penalty, and a late-race hiccup, but he’s been a rock for RCR, helping the No. 8 team stay competitive.

That consistency, plus his mentorship of younger drivers like Austin Dillon, made this extension a no-brainer for Childress, who’s betting on Kyle to end that drought and maybe even chase another title. “You know, Kyle has been great to work with. Everybody had questions going in. I love a driver that (doesn’t) like to lose, and we’ve worked hard. We’ve got some exciting things coming up. He and I are both alike in one area that we don’t like to lose; we want to win races. I still think that Kyle will win him a championship, and we want it to happen at RCR and that’s our plans. We got a lot of new things coming. This car is a lot different. It’s so engineer-driven that we’re stepping our engineering up more, and I’m excited about the future,” Childress said.

Honestly, all his fans are rooting for him too! Kyle’s legacy as a two-time champ and his role in pushing RCR forward make him worth every penny and this contract shows he’s not slowing down anytime soon.