Kurt Busch was on stage to pay tribute to his late brother, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, during a celebration of Kyle Busch’s life Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle, who died on May 21, grew up racing alongside his older brother as the two advanced to the top ranks of NASCAR.
It was one of those memories of his younger days that older brother Kurt reflected on during his time on stage.
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Kurt Busch Reflects on the Memories of the Kyle Brothers
Near longtime NASCAR sports announcer Mike Joyce, Kurt Busch expressed his gratitude for everyone who showed up to pay tribute to his younger brother.
“It’s been emotional, but this is really, really special and I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for being here tonight to celebrate Kyle,” he said.
Kurt, Kyle, and their father, Tom, spent a lot of time at the stadium in their early years. for he never won a race by any other plan than this.
“It was a life of a life. We came to the stadium not really to make friends. We came there to win those trophies,” Kurt said.
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The play-in-words for the last name, Kurt nicknamed Kyle “Shrub” Busch is the youngest of the three.
“That’s what I named him a bush. My dad was a tree, I was a bush, and Kyle was a bush. Even at a young age it seemed like he wanted to make me bigger, better and faster, which is just fine,” Kurt said.
In the early years of his career, he said, Kurt and Kyle didn’t do a lot of wrecking. They sharpened their skills and made their cars faster.
Today, Kurt sees a lot of that in his son Kyle Brexton, who continued his young career path after his father’s passing last May.
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“I’m barely scratching my ears back at him. I’m so proud,” he said.
Kurt Busch on Kyle’s Racing Rise: ‘Wait Till Kyle Gets Here’
As an older brother, Kurt made it to the NASCAR Cup Series ahead of Kyle. He recalls winning pole at Darlington in 2001 as one of the biggest steps in his first Cup career.
Meanwhile, Kyle’s name continues to pop up going up the ranks of motorsport. When interviewed about winning polo at Darlington in 2001, Kurt said:
“I said, “You know what? You think I’m good, just wait until Kyle gets here.”
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Kurt believes Kyle was proud of his career accomplishments. However, Kurt always knew his younger brother was going to be a star when NASCAR made it.
And it was completely.
“All along I knew if I could do it and have at least a little bit of success, I was just going to go to the stratosphere,” Kurt said.