Samantha Busch never thought she would find her future husband at the racetrack. It was 2007, and she was just a college student at Purdue University, focusing on her studies and sorority life. NASCAR was the furthest thing from her mind, but fate took her to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a promotional gig through her modeling agency. Little did she know that it would change her life forever.

That’s when she met Kyle Busch. The chance encounter wouldn’t have been possible without Jimmie Johnson, whose PR was instrumental in both of them meeting for the very first time, starting the Busch love story.

Jimmie Johnson’s PR rep played matchmaker

It was a hot day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Samantha was tired after engaging with fans while representing Chevrolet. She was in line to get people to take a ride in the pace car, and that’s when a woman approached her and offered her a ride, a chance Samantha gratefully took to escape the hot weather. That decision was the first domino to fall, leading to this blossoming relationship. However, the ride itself did not go that well, according to Samantha.

Samantha Busch said on the ‘Believe in the Good with Haley Dillon’ podcast, “This was my first time ever at a racetrack… We got two or three laps together, no more than 2 minutes… He [Kyle Busch] was like.. kinda chatting. I just threw it out there cause I thought he was cute. I’m like, ‘ You should come to the bars with us, it’ll be really fun,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, I have something tonight.'” This instant rejection didn’t spell hope for Samantha. As it turns out, the offer for a ride wasn’t a random one. Kyle Busch himself had asked a mutual acquaintance to see if she wanted a ride.

And who was that acquaintance? It was Amy Walsh, a public relations professional associated with Jimmie Johnson! Recalling the encounter, Samantha Busch said, “She was always Jimmie Johnson’s PR girl for forever. Amy Walsh. So we had her at our wedding cause we’re like, Amy, this is because of you. So she comes over and she’s like, ‘Oh, he wants your number,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t think he does, but whatever. If you all want to come out with us later, like, have fun.”

At that time, Samantha Sarcinella didn’t know who Kyle Busch was, or whether he raced cars for a living. It was before Instagram or TikTok had come around, and she couldn’t look him up on social media to know all about him. “My girlfriends and I were googling, trying to figure it out,” she said, after meeting ‘Rowdy’. Samantha went on to say, “I think Facebook had just come out. That’s how long ago this was.”

Eventually, after months of texting and phone calls, the two finally met on a date. As luck would have it, things worked out between the two, and they eventually tied the knot on New Year’s Eve at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on December 31st, 2010. “It was the most amazing feeling walking out of the church as the new Mr. and Mrs. Busch,” Samantha recalled in the Fast and the Fabulous: A NASCAR Wedding. None of this would have been possible without Jimmie Johnson, who unknowingly played cupid after his PR rep, Amy Walsh, delivered the message that started it all.

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Samantha and Kyle Busch are IVF advocates

As with any love story, there are hurdles along the way. Samantha and Kyle Busch have experienced a fair share of them after marriage. The couple has experienced problems with infertility, leading to a miscarriage along with other complications. In a bid to help other couples facing similar issues, the duo has started the Bundle of Joy Fund to sponsor costs associated with IVF treatments.

Reflecting on her IVF advocacy, Samantha Busch said, “Seeing the families we have helped with their babies has helped us to make sense of our own difficult journey to conceive. It was worth all the pain, shots, the months of trying, and roller coaster of emotions because it gave us the unique perspective of what these couples face and a strong desire to want to help others.” She also wrote a book called ‘Fighting Infertility: Finding My Inner Warrior Through Trying to Conceive, IVF and Miscarriage’ to help others who may be going through similar experiences.

With two healthy kids, Samantha and Kyle Busch have put some of their struggles behind them. Now, the family watches on as ‘Rowdy’ works towards breaking his winless streak in the Cup Series, while Brexton Busch continues to make a name for himself at the grassroots level, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father. It’s been a wild ride for the Busch family, but the best may be yet to come.