Kyle and Samantha Busch talk winning, Bosch and parenthood

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 Last weekend, Kyle Busch claimed NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™ victory for the second weekend in a row in his Bosch-equipped No. 18 Interstate Batteries Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry at the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This feat, coupled with his wins in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series over the last two weekends make Busch only the second NASCAR driver in the last 25 years to sweep consecutive weekends. In recognition of Busch’s Sprint Cup Series victory, the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket NA Giving Track Program is making its second $1,000 charitable contribution of the season to the Kyle Busch Foundation based in Mooresville, North Carolina. To date in 2016, Bosch has contributed $7,000 to the charities of its sponsored teams, $4,000 of which has been earned by Joe Gibbs Racing teams with half of that amount going to the Kyle Busch Foundation.

 

The Kyle Busch Foundation is committed to empowering children, families and communities to overcome hardship by providing essential tools, including financial, material and experiential assistance, to allow them to live their best lives possible. The Foundation’s efforts are concentrated on assisting organizations that foster a stable and inspiring environment for children, families and communities to live, learn, challenge and empower themselves as well as ensuring their day-to-day needs are met.

 

“Kyle is one of the most exciting drivers out there! His determination and strength on the track have led him to his second straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory,” said Tony Pauly, director of advertising and brand management for Robert Bosch LLC, Automotive Aftermarket North America. “Not only is Bosch proud to support Kyle and Joe Gibbs Racing with Bosch parts and services, we are proud to play a part in the work they have done through the Kyle Busch Foundation.”

Following his victory, Kyle and Samantha sat down with us to talk a bit more about the foundation.

First off, congratulations on your win this weekend.　　 What inspired the Kyle Busch Foundation?

Kyle: Back in 2006, I visited a children’s group home in Michigan. Talking with the kids and hearing their stories opened my eyes to these situations that I didn’t really know existed. I left there feeling compelled to help kids and families experiencing these hardships to have a better life. So I started the Kyle Busch Foundation with a mission to provide tools and resources to help kids and families live their best lives possible.

It’s been really rewarding to look back on all the work we’ve done over the past ten years and all of the families we have supported. It’s also great to see fans rally behind the Kyle Busch Foundation and help us achieve our mission.

　

Can you tell us a bit more about the work the Kyle Busch Foundation does?

Samantha: The foundation has definitely evolved over the years. That’s one of the unique things about the Kyle Busch Foundation; we really focus on what we are passionate about and what matters to us.

Most recently, we have started the ‘Bundle of Joy Fund’ in partnership with the REACH Clinic in Charlotte. We have shared our story about the struggles we had with infertility and the IVF process to have Brexton. Through that journey, we learned how many couples have similar issues but don’t have the financial resources to pay for the treatments, and most insurance plans have minimal, if any, coverage. After experiencing the joy that Brexton has brought to our lives, it was important to Kyle and me to help other couples experience the joy of parenthood and start families.

We are also involved in providing prom dresses for hundreds of young ladies in the Charlotte and Mooresville areas who may not be able to afford to buy a dress of their own. I have really enjoyed meeting young girls and helping to build self-esteem and make these girls feel special on their prom night. It’s so rewarding to see the transformation of the girls once they put on their dresses and have their makeup done, and it’s something I am very passionate about, helping to empower these girls.

With the foundation, we also try to support local groups and causes here in the community around Kyle Busch Motorsports. One of those is the Christmas giving program with the Children’s Hope Alliance in Troutman, N.C. Each year around the holidays, we use funds raised throughout the year to purchase not only toys, but also basic needs for the kids living at the facility to help them enjoy their Christmas.

　

For those of us who aren’t aware, what is Bosch’s Giving Track Program?

Kyle: Being a part of Joe Gibbs Racing, which is sponsored by Bosch, we are eligible to receive a charitable donation from the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket NA Giving Track program for each of my Sprint Cup Series wins. Each eligible driver is able to select a charity to receive funding, so of course I chose the Kyle Busch Foundation. Bosch’s generous donations helps us be able to give back and support our community.

　

Can you tell us how the winnings from Bosch have helped the foundation?

Samantha: We are so thankful for the support of Bosch through the Giving Track program. The winnings we have received from Bosch go a long way in helping to provide funding for all of our projects. We are still a relatively small foundation, and we all work really hard to raise funds and expand the work we do. So when we receive a donation just for winning a race, it has a big impact on our efforts. So I tell Kyle to keep winning races so we can grow the foundation!

　

Do you think the new family responsibilities have made you a better racer?

Kyle: I don’t know if the new responsibilities make me a better racer necessarily, but it has certainly helped with my overall perspective, on and off the track. Since having Brexton, especially after the accident and then going on to win the championship, to be able to share that with my son and my wife, as a family, it puts things into a whole new perspective. Knowing I have Brexton looking up to me and that I get to share these special moments with him, it gives me more drive to go out there and give it my all. Then I get to go just be daddy and sort of forget about the frustration and the stress that sometimes comes out of racing. And when we win, it’s that much more special to celebrate in victory lane with my family.

　

Has the foundation changed at all with the new baby around?

Samantha: Our journey to have Brexton is what inspired the ‘Bundle of Joy Fund’, and it is a major focus for the Kyle Busch Foundation right now. We are very driven to increase our fundraising efforts to be able to help more couples struggling with infertility to experience the same joy we feel with Brexton in our lives.　

　

What are some of the future goals of the foundation?

Kyle: Right now one of our biggest goals is to increase funding to expand the ‘Bundle of Joy Fund’. It costs around $25,000 per couple to go through a complete IVF cycle, so it’s an expensive fund to support. We have given funding to 10 Charlotte-area couples in the past year and we really hope to increase that number by raising more money and the generous donations from sponsors such as Bosch.

 

Bosch involvement in motorsports dates back to the early 1900’s, and it has been equipping NASCAR teams with parts and technical advice since 1991. In 2012, when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made the move from carbureted engines to more efficient fuel injected engines, Bosch became the sport’s exclusive oxygen sensor supplier. Beginning in 2016, Bosch has expanded its agreement with NASCAR to include fuel injectors and fuel pumps.

Adam Sinclair
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