Kurt Busch

Kurt Thomas Busch is an American former auto racing driver and convicted criminal. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. He is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the 2017 Daytona 500 winner. He is the older brother of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. Busch has driven for Chip Ganassi Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Phoenix Racing, Penske Racing, and Roush Racing in his Cup career, which began in 2000. He is the winner of thirty-four Cup races and won his championship in the first season using the "Chase for the Cup" points format. With a 2006 win in the Busch Series, he became one of only 36 drivers to win races in all three of NASCAR's top divisions: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. His early career received significant media attention as his aggressive driving style led to incidents with other competitors, while also having confrontations with his team members and members of the media itself. His later career saw him gain a reputation for helping his race teams improve their programs over time, and is the only driver to have won at the Cup level for the four manufacturers (in order) Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet and Toyota. In addition to his stock car racing career, Busch has also raced in the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and in the National Hot Rod Association. In 2023, he was named to NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.