Usually winning a championship erases every complaint of the season. Well, not for Kyle Busch. He made his concerns known even after he lifted his second NASCAR Cup Series title in 2019. He wasn’t thrilled about how NASCAR on FOX portrayed him and made it known publicly. So much that then-producer Barry Landis and broadcaster Mike Joy in an attempt to avoid things from getting further had to go to dinner with him. They wanted to find out the reason behind the complaints. But they left the meeting feeling sunk and defeated. 

“Kyle, can you give me an example where we were unfair to you or where we didn’t treat you kindly? Mike Joy recalled his uncomfortable conversation with the veteran driver on the Lights out show. “Do you watch these races back?’ 

Busch’s answer left them speechless, and it immediately changed the direction of the conversation.

“Nope, but my grandmother watches them all and she tells me what’s going on,” said Kyle Busch. For Joy, that response said everything.

“And I looked at Barry and I knew right then we were sunk because there’s no arguing with grandma, right?” Joy said.

Joy knew then that this was no longer a discussion about broadcast excerpts or examples. Because Busch valued his grandmother’s viewpoint above all else. He actually had a strong relationship with his grandmother, Joann Busch, growing up.

Kyle once revealed that he grew up in Las Vegas, spending time with his grandma. They often went to Ethel M Chocolates, where he would browse the botanical cactus garden and choose candies. That memory came full circle when Kyle’s long-term sponsor featured the brand on his car. But the most impact his grandmother had in Kyle’s life and pivotal in fact is in mending his relationship with his brother.

Kyle and his older brother Kurt Busch had stopped talking after their infamous crash in the 2007 All-Star Race. Each brother blamed the other for the wreck and the loss of a $1 million prize. According to Kyle, this standoff lasted for a year before a family gathering for their grandmother’s birthday, or probably Thanksgiving, according to the veteran driver, which brought them back together. Now, in the wake of Busch’s passing, that relationship that was once repaired by their grandma has become even more meaningful.

Kurt has remained close to the family and was recently seen supporting Kyle Busch’s son, Brexton. When the 11-year-old returned to competition at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Cook Out Summer Shootout, Kurt was cheering from the sidelines: “Go get ’em, Brex.”

Kurt also talked about his relationship with Kyle in an emotional Instagram tribute following his brother’s death.

“Finding a silver lining, I reflect back on the days Kyle and I raced anything we could get our hands on,” Kurt wrote. “From big wheels to competing on the biggest stages in motorsports, we were more than just fierce competitors. We pushed each other, challenged each other, and learned from each other.”

He added, “Kyle, your passion, determination, and love for your family inspired everyone who knew you. No trophy, championship, or accomplishment could ever measure the impact you had on my life and on so many others… Rest easy, little brother.”

The relationship that Joann Busch helped mend so many years ago is what is holding on. Mike Joy joked that there was “no arguing with grandma.” Looking back, it’s easy to see why. Few people shaped Kyle Busch’s life and relationships more than she did.