While Kyle Busch runs winless in the 2024 season, his son Brexton has already won 31 of his last 92 features. This is not a comparison between the father and the son, who share similar goals in the wider spectrum of stock car racing. Instead, as Brexton won again on the Millbridge dirt this past Wednesday, his old man turned up with a promising showcase in the 600cc Winged Micro category.
The Busch family had a successful weekend at the Salisbury, NC facility, taking home multiple trophies. But knowing the innate Rowdy hunger to reach Victory Lane, 9-year-old Brexton and his 39-year-old father are already gearing up for their next challenges. And although the stakes will be high for Brexton in Illinois, it will be twice as high for Kyle Busch at the Daytona International Speedway this weekend.
Busch family prevails at Millbridge Speedway
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Brexton has won the 2023 Beginner Box Stock Division championship at Millbridge Speedway. For years, the racetrack has witnessed the growth of countless future NASCAR drivers like Christopher Bell, Ben Rhodes, and Brandon Jones. With his immediate promise evidencing his immense potential, Brexton looks set to lead the way for the next generation of high-speed athletes in the sport. This week, he showed up with his talent to secure a win at Millbridge in the Restricted Winged Micros category. But what’s impressive is that Brexton qualified ahead of everyone else with a time of 10.233 seconds, and he also won the heat race in his #18B. In simple racing terms, the 9-year-old went from pole to P1 at the end of the 20-lap feature.
But that’s not all. According to My Race Pass, Brexton won the JR Wing category on Tuesday at Millbridge, beating Jayden Cordell (P2), and Karter Beattie (P3) to the finish. It is safe to say, the 9-year-old racing prodigy left Millbridge with more than just a few smiles after Wednesday.
On an Instagram post, Brexton Busch shared his joy in a carousel of pictures that featured his dad, Kyle, and mom, Samantha. In the first image, Brexton jubilantly holds his trophy atop his Servpro-backed Micro Sprint car. Beaming with pride, his parents stand by his side with Kyle’s third-place trophy, also in the foreground.
Captioning the image, Brexton wrote, “WEEEP!!🧹 I finished first in Qualifying and the Heat Race on my way to winning for the second night in a row!! The crew had my Restricted Micro dialed in and we dominated! Now off to Illinois!!” It seems like the young gun isn’t wasting any time enjoying his success.
With a determination that signals his maturity beyond his years, young Brexton will now prepare for his next test at the Southern Illinois Raceway. Once again, he’s competing in the Jr Sprints and the Restricted Wing Micros category. Brexton will compete at the KKM Challenge at the Coles County Speedway a few weeks later.
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Is Kyle Busch gearing up for a legendary comeback, or is it just wishful thinking?
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This young man certainly boasts a busy schedule. But as for his dad? The 2-time Cup champ showed up with his best performance in over two months with a top-5 at Michigan this Sunday. However, competing at the 600cc Winged Micro category at Millbridge on Wednesday, Kyle Busch finished third behind eventual winner Evan Koehler, and P2-finisher, Tyler Lupton. Busch qualified at the back of the pack in 14th, similar to his qualifying efforts at the Michigan Cup race, where he qualified 13th. He rose through the ranks, finishing third in the heat race, and converted that placement to a P3 at the end of A Feature 1.
He posted a story on his Instagram commemorating his midweekly achievements, showing off his #51 Lucas Oil-backed Sprint car. It sure is a healthy respite from the constant pressure of making the playoffs as the 17th-placed driver in the points standings. And as he currently sits 92 points separated from the cutline, his results in the next two regular-season races will seal the fate of his 2024 parade.
Kyle Busch’s Daytona challenge on Sunday
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While Brexton prepares to draw out his 2024 season with trophies, positive records, and accolades, Kyle Busch is currently winless and might miss the playoffs for the first time in the elimination era. He is also at risk of losing his 19-year streak, where he has won at least one Cup race every season. But this Sunday at Daytona, Busch returns to a beast he’s had trouble conquering. For all his glorious achievements, the #8 driver has only won at the World Center of Racing once in his near-two-decade career. Surprisingly, the man is yet to win the season-opening Daytona 500.
His only win at the 2.5-mile high-banked behemoth came at the 2008 Coke Zero 400. Sixteen years have passed since then, and it occurs Kyle Busch might have to repeat those fortunes for a shot at the playoffs. If he does, it will be only his second Cup win at the superspeedway setting in Daytona Beach, FL.
But speaking of superspeedways, Kyle Busch is also the 7th best-averaging driver on drafting tracks since 2021. It is important to note that two of his three wins in his debut season with RCR’s #8 team came on tracks 2 miles and above. Maybe the Next-Gen car has helped Busch adapt to similar tracks better.
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In contrast, since his 2005 rookie season, Kyle Busch has competed in 76 superspeedway races and won only three. As for the regular season finale at Darlington? The man has only won once at Darlington. Coincidentally, that win also came in 2008, when he wheeled the #18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in his first season, replacing JJ Yeley. But the fact remains.
To ensure a playoff spot for Richard Childress Racing in 2024, he must do much better than his Michigan outing or even the Sprint Car showcase in Millbridge. Kyle Busch has to win a race this season. Whether he pulls it off before the first playoff race in Atlanta is another lofty discussion. But he sure must be happy to witness his eldest take to the tracks with a renewed ‘Rowdy’ mentality.
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Is Kyle Busch gearing up for a legendary comeback, or is it just wishful thinking?