Remembering racing legend Kyle Busch through his NASCAR trading cards

The sports world suffered a staggering blow Thursday with the sudden death of NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch.

Busch, 41, was the winningest driver in NASCAR history, scoring 234 victories over the sport’s three national series during his 24-year career. A two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Busch won 63 Cup races, a record 102 in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and a record 69 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

A fiery, intense, outspoken competitor known for his aggressive racing style and sometimes controversial moves on and off the track, Busch was one of NASCAR’s biggest stars and a mentor for many younger drivers.

“We’ve lost our Kobe Bryant,” NASCAR veteran and former Busch teammate Denny Hamlin said.

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Busch won his 69^th career NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 15, and then raced in the NASCAR All-Star Race two days later.

He was preparing for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway when fell ill and was rushed to a Charlotte area hospital on Thursday. His death was announced a few hours later.

Busch began his NASCAR Cup Series career at age 18 with Hendrick Motorsports in 2004, the same year his older brother Kurt won the Cup Series championship. Kyle won his first two Cup races the following season.

Busch left Hendrick Motorsports for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and had one of his biggest seasons, winning a series-high eight races.

He won his first Cup Series championship in 2015, despite missing 11 races with a broken leg suffered in a season-opening crash at Daytona. He finished in the top five in points in each of the next four seasons with Gibbs, winning the 2019 championship with five race wins.

After his contract expired in 2022, Busch moved to Richard Childress Racing, where he promptly won three races in 2023.

Once one of the NASCAR’s biggest villains, Busch had become one of the sport’s most popular and respected drivers during the latter years of his career. A devout father and family man, he was guiding and directing the racing career of his 11-year-old son, Brexton, at the time of his death.

Like many of NASCAR’s top stars, Busch had also become a popular driver among NASCAR trading card collectors, with many of his top cards selling for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars.

Here is a look at some of Busch’s top trading cards:

One of Busch’s earliest cards shows the 17-year-old phenom at an ASA (American Speed Association) track.

Busch’s official rookie card shows him in his Busch Series uniform for Hendrick Motorsports.

An insert card from the same 2004 Press Pass set shows Busch in his NASCAR Cup Series uniform with Hendrick Motorsports.

Busch’s 2008 Press Pass card shows him in his Kellogg’s Hendrick Motorsports uniform in 2007, his final season with Hendrick. Busch won four Cup races and 11 Busch Series races for Hendrick before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.

Busch had his greatest success with Joe Gibbs Racing, winning 56 Cup races and two championships. His breakout season came in 2008, making his 2009 Press Pass VIP and 2009 Press Pass Contenders cards highly sought after by NASCAR collectors.

For several years, Busch had one of the most colorful and popular color schemes on his car through his sponsorship with M&M’s and the Mars candy brand. His 2012 Press Pass card shows Busch in his bright yellow M&M’s uniform.

Busch won his first NASCAR Cup championship with JGR in 2015—despite the broken leg that cost him 11 races. His 2016 Panini Prizm card shows him with his championship.

One of Busch’s most fun cards is his 2016 SI For Kids card, which shows his No. 18 card in a colorful M&M’s paint scheme.

Some of Busch’s most attractive cards were on the Panini Donruss brands. His 2021 Donruss Optic Signatures card has sold for a few hundred dollars.

Busch has been featured in some of Panini’s top card brands, including the popular National Treasures set. His 2021 cards feature a patch from a race-used tire, as well as patches from his race-worn uniforms.

Whether it was his bright, beautiful race cars, his aggressive driving style or his outspoken, entertaining demeanor off the track, Kyle Busch was one of NASCAR's most colorful drivers.