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via Imago

via Imago

Kyle Busch isn’t looking back on his torrid 2024 NASCAR season and has rather focused his time and attention on dirt racing. It was indeed surprising to see Rowdy finally opting to compete on dirt, but he certainly gave a good account of himself trading blows against serious competition at the Tulsa Shootout. Unlike NASCAR, Busch wasn’t burdening himself under pressure as he just wanted to enjoy racing, something he’s missed a lot in 2024. He did have an upper hand over his NASCAR rivals, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, winning two heat races in the wing and non-wing class.

Unfortunately, the RCR star wasn’t able to collect enough points to advance into the main event. Rowdy had his doubts about how he was going to fare up against season dirt racers with his first competitive race at Ventura Speedway. But now that he’s got that monkey off his back, he is optimistic about his chances for the Chili Bowl Nationals.

Kyle Busch sets realistic expectations for Chili Bowl

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Regardless of the setting and environment, comparisons are bound to happen when multiple NASCAR drivers compete in the same event. Both Larson and Bell are multi-time Chili Bowl winners, thus making them clear favorites for the masses. In comparison, Rowdy is still trying to find his feet, but he would like to do better than his Tulsa Shootout feature. The 39-year-old is aiming to make the A-main event and at least contest for the trophy.

“I still like to be out there and doing it even if I’m not great at it. I’m not Kyle Larson; I’m not Christopher Bell (his fellow NASCAR stars who have excelled on dirt). I get that. Do I want to be? Hell yeah, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be. But, hopefully, Brexton Busch can be that way — and not only on the dirt but also on the pavement in NASCAR.” Busch said this in an interview with Jeff Gluck. Despite the missed opportunity at Tulsa, the driver was elated to see his son Brexton Busch finally get his hands on the Golden Driller.

Busch started his racing career on pavement and never really got the taste of dirt racing. Seeing the likes of Bell, Larson, and SVG excel at the NASCAR stage thanks to their diverse racing experience, he wanted his son to hone his skills in different disciplines. The Junior Sprint’s triumph was the first step in Brexton’s progression as a driver. And this win was indeed special after the 9-year-old had to return home empty hand in his previous attempt.

 

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Despite Brexton leading all 20 laps of the race and comfortably bringing home the win, his father Kyle Busch couldn’t control his nerves. Imagine a driver who’s competed in high-octane races like the Daytona 500 was having a hard time watching his son convert one clean lap after another. “I think this is more stress and more butterflies for me here than it is for the Daytona 500. This is such a huge deal, and it means so much to a family, what we do and what we pour our lives into.” Busch said this after the race.

This wasn’t the first time Busch revealed how he is preparing Brexton for the NASCAR breakthrough. In an interview with Jeff Gluck earlier this year, he laid down the road map he’s prepared for his son that will see him prepare for his big breakthrough on the NASCAR stage.

Where will Brexton Busch continue his racing journey next?

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The modern-day NASCAR drivers do not entirely rely on pavements and ovals to develop their skills. The likes of Larson, Bell, and Chase Briscoe have diverse backgrounds, which has helped them get up to speed with Next-Gen racing. With more road course races popping up and parity racing bringing the field together, race craft alone is the difference maker. Joey Logano might have won the 2024 Cup Series title, but by and large Larson and Bell were the most consistent drivers of this season.

Busch understands that NASCAR racing will undergo more drastic changes until Brexton is of age. This is why he’s trying his best to prepare him for all possible scenarios and elevate his racecraft. Opening up on Brexton’s next adventure along with dirt racing, the 2-time champ said, “When he turns 10, he can run Legend cars—so we’ll add that in next May. And then at 12, you’re allowed to run the CARS Tour Pro Late Models. So he’ll probably get into some of that at 12.”

He wants Brexton to have a good experience with both the dirt and asphalt racing. “There’s a road racing series, Trans Am TA2, and he’ll probably get into some of that at 14. He’ll probably also do some Late Model Stock stuff and some Super Late Models at 14. I want to keep him on the dirt and asphalt realm; I don’t feel like you should go one way or the other. We’ll probably stick with some of that mixture. And then by 16, he’ll be ready for some Trucks.”

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There’s also the possibility of KBM’s return as Brexton keeps climbing the ranks and comes closer to his NASCAR dream.

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Is Brexton Busch the future of NASCAR, or just riding on his father's coattails?