Kurt Busch spent decades racing against his younger brother Kyle Busch. Now, the NASCAR Hall of Famer is preparing to become more involved with the next Busch making his way through the sport.
Three months after Kyle’s death at age 41, Kurt opened up about 11-year-old Brexton Busch and the role he hopes to play as his nephew continues pursuing a racing career.
Kurt made clear that he sees considerable potential in Brexton. More importantly, he indicated that Kyle’s death has changed how present he wants to be as his nephew continues developing behind the wheel.
“He’s a prodigy,” Kurt told Craig Melvin during an interview that aired on NBC’s “Today” on Friday, Aug. 21. “He was on gas even before all of this, right? He can be a big star in the world of motorsports. He’s 11 but he’s already racing like an 18-year-old. So, it’s time to be around a bit more.”
For a family whose story has been intertwined with NASCAR for decades, those final words carry particular weight.
Kurt Busch Plans to Be ‘Around a Bit More’ for Brexton
Brexton was already well into his own racing journey before losing his father.
Kyle had been deeply involved in that journey, balancing his NASCAR career with his role as a racing dad as Brexton progressed through the grassroots ranks. Father and son frequently competed on the same race weekends, and Kyle spoke openly over the years about helping Brexton learn and develop while allowing him to forge his own path.
Now Kurt is signaling that he wants to be more present for what comes next.
Few people could offer Brexton the perspective his uncle can.
Kurt won the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 34 Cup races during a career that spanned more than two decades. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2026, with Kyle there to help celebrate one of the defining moments of his older brother’s career.
But Kurt’s potential influence on Brexton extends beyond trophies and racing knowledge.
He knows firsthand what it means to grow up in the Busch family and build a career in NASCAR. He also knows the scrutiny, expectations and pressure that can accompany success at the highest level.
Brexton now faces the extraordinary challenge of continuing the racing journey he began with his father while grieving his loss.
Kurt’s comments suggest he wants to help his nephew navigate both.
Kyle Busch’s Racing Legacy Could Continue Through His Son
Brexton has already demonstrated that racing is more than simply something he inherited from his father.
The 11-year-old has been competing for years, with Kyle serving as one of his most important teachers and supporters. Kyle’s involvement in his son’s career offered NASCAR fans a different look at the two-time Cup champion, whose identity late in his life increasingly included being a father helping his son chase the same dream he once pursued.
Brexton returned to competition in June, weeks after his father’s death, continuing a racing career that Kyle had helped nurture.
Kurt now believes his nephew has the ability to take that career considerably further.
His assessment that Brexton is already “racing like an 18-year-old” is particularly striking coming from someone who has spent virtually his entire life around elite motorsports.
Still, Kurt’s comments were not solely about what Kyle accomplished behind the wheel or what Brexton might accomplish someday.
As he reflected on his brother’s legacy, Kurt pointed to the person Kyle became away from the racetrack.
“The tenacity that he had, it was every day, 24-7, to help people in the latter part of his career, to be a great father like he was,” Kurt said. “It will all shine as time puts different things in spotlights.”
One of those spotlights may eventually fall on Brexton.
There is no way to replace the father who introduced him to racing, coached him and shared the experience alongside him. But as Brexton continues pursuing the path he began with Kyle, another NASCAR champion plans to be there more often.
And for the Busch family, the next chapter of its racing story may now bring Kurt and Brexton closer together.
Kurt Busch Reveals New Role in Nephew Brexton’s Racing Career After Kyle Busch’s Death