"He had a tough go of it": Winner Kyle Busch explains why son Brexton's Summer Shootout race took a painful turn

For Kyle Busch, it was a night of contrast under the Charlotte Motor Speedway lights. While the two-time NASCAR Cup champion cruised to another win in the Masters division of the Summer Shootout, his son Brexton faced the other side of racing's learning curve.

Father and son shared the track on June 8 during Round 7 of the Summer Shootout in what's become a weekly staple of family racing. Kyle Busch ran the No. 51 Lucas Oil Legend car in the American Rebel Ale Masters feature, part of the Lug Nut's Birthday Bash, while Brexton was entered in both the Bandolero Bandit and Chargers divisions.

Brexton, who had been dominant across early rounds, found himself in trouble in both events on this night. While battling near the front in the Chargers feature, he was forced up the track and ultimately shuffled back, ending his night with a DNF.

Reflecting on Brexton's difficulties, Kyle Busch gave a candid insight into what went wrong:

"He had a tough go of it. He was pretty good early and just sort of lost his way. I don't know if it was hot, he got tired or what was going on, but he just left the bottom open too many times and let his competition get to his inside." (1:04 onwards)

That small mistake, Kyle Busch explained, created an opening his rivals were eager to exploit. Brexton left space on the inside while leading, and that led to contact that turned him and pushed him back. Despite the setbacks, Kyle made clear that the night's struggles were just part of Brexton's development arc.

"Got to work on him and his craft, and running the same times and the same laps, and hitting his marks all the time to make sure that he can do his job. If he was perfect doing his job, then there's nothing to complain about. But we got a lot to work on," he added.

James Behnke won the Bandits Bandalero race while Camden Truett won the Chargers event. Earlier this month, Brexton got his third Bandalero win in the Cook Out Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He will return next week on July 15 for the Cook Out Summer Shootout Camping Night races.

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Kyle Busch's short-track form comes in clutch as playoff battle intensifies

NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch before The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Source: Imagn

While Brexton faced adversity, Kyle Busch turned in a near-flawless performance in the Masters Division on a rain-delayed Tuesday night. After missing qualifying for the early race, Busch began at the back of the field in Round 6 and battled to a respectable third.

By Round 7, with better weather and a pole-starting position, he stayed out of trouble during restarts and managed tire wear and track position with Cup Series veteran calm.

"Qualified on the pole, drew a good invert, so we were lucky we didn't have to pass cars or get tore up in any sort of traffic and just set sail. But I looked in my mirror every once in a while… the 8 car was right there, right on me, couldn't shake him," Busch told Frontstretch (0:33 onwards).

The short-track sharpness from the Summer Shootout may be what Rowdy needs as he attempts to claw his way back into the Cup Series Playoff picture.

Following a run of subpar finishes in Mexico City (37), Pocono (20), and Atlanta (21), Busch delivered a hard-fought fifth-place finish in Chicago. The result gives him a much-needed boost, though the pressure remains. The Richard Childress Racing driver is -46 below the cutline, with seven races left in the regular season.

With 12 different winners so far, only four playoff spots remain on points, meaning a win may be the only route into the postseason. Kyle Busch, who missed the playoffs in 2024, now heads to Sonoma, where he has won twice (2008, 2015), needing another strong road course result to stay in contention.