American race car driver

Kurt Busch, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, races in the NASCAR Nextel Cup (formerly Winston Cup) stock car series. He pilots the #97 Sharpie/Irwin/Rubbermaid Ford Taurus owned by Jack Roush.

Kurt began his racing career driving mini stocks in Las Vegas. He moved up to the NASCAR Touring Series where he won a rookie of the year title in 1998 and a series championship in 1999. Roush Racing signed him for the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He finished second in the points that year, and Jack Roush had Kurt skip the usual step of the Busch series and put him in Chad Little's Winston Cup ride.

Kurt's first year in a Cup car proved that he could race with the "big boys". He came in 27th in the points and 2nd in the rookie of the year standings. The next year, he would score four wins -- including one at Bristol, a notorious short track he would dominate in later years.

In November 2004, Kurt became the first winner of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship, beating out Hendrick Racing teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon by less than 20 points. He is the 27th different winner of NASCAR's highest title and the third youngest winner at only 26 years.

Kurt's younger brother Kyle is also a professional race car driver, currently competing in the (no relation) NASCAR Busch Series.