When the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season began, Kyle Busch was a very talented driver that had never brought home a championship. All of that changed when the checkered flag waived on the final lap at Homestead Miami Speedway, the last race to crown NASCAR’s champion.
The Toyota’s M&M’s car raced back from a debilitating start to the season to stage an improbable comeback in the last half of the Sprint Cup schedule. When all the burn-out smoke cleared, Busch’s fairy tale became a reality.
Kyle has been considered as one of the best racers on the circuit from his peers. Fans on the other hand have somewhat labeled the often aggressive driver as selfish and oppressive. That too changed in Busch’s favor at the end of the 2015 season. He overcame serious injuries and adapted a more cerebral approach in guiding his car to victory lane.
Let’s rewind a bit. Kyle is known for his competitive drive that pushes to compete in other racing venues. He races in the Camping World Truck Series and is a regular in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, a “minor league” series, that is a proving ground for up and coming competitors.
It was in the first Xfinity race of the year at Daytona International Speedway that things went south in a big hurry. Busch lost control of his car and crashed head-on into the wall, crushing both of his legs. Kyle was rushed to the hospital not knowing if he’d ever be able to race competitively again. His right knee and left foot were shattered. Its was bad, but not as bad as he feared. The doctors reassured Kyle that with extensive rehab he should be back behind the wheel in six months. He vowed to return better than ever.
Kyle’s first child, Brexton Busch, was born three months into the rehab process. This is what Kyle contributed to refocusing not only his driving but his outlook on his life as well. When the number 18 car returned to its Joe Gibbs Racing team, it was obvious that a “different” driver named Kyle Busch would be behind the controls.
Because of the nature of Kyle’s absence, NASCAR made an exception for his return. He could be eligible to make the chase but he would have to win a race and finish in the top thirty in points. Upon his return, because NASCAR credits drivers with points and not the car, he would be placed in dead last.
The M&M team went to work. Kyle’s rookie crew chief Adam Stevens, who was successful with Busch in the Xfinity series, churned out cars that were fast for Kyle’s driving style. Joe Gibbs had a hunch the two could do well together at the next level. He was right again.
After getting his bearings in the Sprint Cup All-Star races at Charlotte, Kyle drove his car to a to a top 10 finish at Pocono Raceway two weeks later. After what looked like another depleting set back the next week in Michigan, Kyle rebounded at Sonoma Raceway to capture his first victory of the season. He then went on to win three of the next four races propelling himself up in the point standings and inevitably qualifying for the chase.
With consistent driving throughout the chase races, Kyle Busch was one of the four drivers eligible to race for the title in Miami. The 18 car pushed through early race adversities and dominated the last half of the race at Homestead to bring the comeback season to a storybook end.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Busch said. “A dream of a lifetime, a dream come true and something that only happens every so often. I just can’t believe it. With everything that happened this year, all the turmoil, all the things that we went through.”
So that’s the fairy tale version that Kyle Busch will tell you is somewhat factual, maybe even mostly true. It does however miss some important parts of real life. It misses the pain and agony of the rehabilitation process. It misses the days of boredom sitting in drivers meetings about a car he could not drive. It misses the fact he turned thirty years old and doesn’t feel like a kid anymore. But as Kyle will tell you it misses the true miracle given to the Busch family, the birth of their son Brexton.
