Who Is Kyle Busch's Wife? What to Know About Samantha Busch

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, who died on May 21 after a "severe illness," wed Samantha in 2010

NEED TO KNOW

• Kyle Busch married his wife, Samantha Busch, in 2010
• The legendary NASCAR driver and Samantha welcomed two children together, Brexton and Lennix
• Kyle died on May 21, hours after his family announced he was hospitalized with a “severe illness”

Professional race car driver Kyle Busch and his wife Samantha were married for 15 years until his sudden death at age 41.

The NASCAR star died on May 21, just hours after his family shared he was hospitalized with a "severe illness."

"On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," a joint statement from NASCAR, the Busch family and Richard Childress Racing read.

Samantha, who is a lifestyle blogger, author and IVF advocate, first met Kyle at a racing event in 2007. The pair began dating shortly after and wed on Dec. 31, 2010. They later welcomed two children together: Brexton Locke, born May 18, 2015, and Lennix Key, born May 10, 2022.

Before Lennix was born via surrogate, Samantha had a miscarriage after IVF, which led to struggles in her marriage that she and Kyle worked to overcome. She spoke with PEOPLE throughout her infertility journey on the path to having her second child, including how her husband had been there for her.

“Kyle has always been my rock,” Samantha said. “So many people only know the aggressive and strong-willed side of him that he shows when he is on the track. But the Kyle that I know is so different from that. Every time I feel like I’m falling apart, he picks me back up again.”

Here’s everything to know about Kyle Busch's wife Samantha and her relationship with the late race car driver.

She met Kyle when she was working as a promotional model in 2007

When Samantha was sent to her first race by the promotional model agency she worked for while in college, she had no idea that she would meet the love of her life. In a 2023 Instagram post, Samantha shared the story of how she met Kyle.

“16 years ago … the promo model agency I worked for sent me down to Indianapolis to work for Chevy getting people hyped up for the races," she wrote. "I was going into my senior year of college at Purdue at the time, a sorority girl and no big surprise not the sportiest of types. So I can honestly say it was my first time at a race track!"

Samantha continued sharing that a woman asked if she wanted a ride after finishing work and she couldn’t turn down being in an air-conditioned car after spending all day in the blazing heat. It turned out that Kyle had gotten the woman to ask Samantha if she wanted a ride, but his future wife didn't have a clue who he was.

Samantha invited him to hang out, and Kyle — who she referred to as “Mr. Shy” in the post — had someone ask for her number as she eventually figured out who he was. They talked on the phone for a few months and dated before she finished her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Purdue University in 2008.

She married Kyle on New Year’s Eve 2010

Kyle and Samantha got married in an extravagant wedding at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on Dec. 31, 2010. The wedding was turned into a one-hour TV special on the Style Network called Fast and the Fabulous: A NASCAR Wedding.

“It was the most amazing feeling walking out of the church as the new Mr. and Mrs. Busch. All of our friends and family were outside clapping and it was just such a great feeling,” Samantha said in the special. “I feel like it’s been months of planning … everything to the last detail and seeing it all come together … it’s that unique, different feel.”

She is an entrepreneur and lifestyle blogger

Samantha is perhaps most well-known as a lifestyle blogger on her website, where she covers everything from recipes and fitness to fashion tips.

She also runs the Samantha Busch Shop, where she curates racing-inspired clothing. She and Kyle used to own Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) — a professional racing team with the NASCAR Truck Series record for most wins — before selling it to Spire Motorsports in September 2023.

According to her website, “Samantha Busch is a wife, mother, author, entrepreneur, lifestyle blogger, IVF advocate, philanthropist and [former] co-owner of a professional race team. As a successful 'boss babe,' Samantha is driven to empower women of all ages and backgrounds to live their best lives with confidence and poise.”

She welcomed two kids with Kyle

Samantha gave birth to her and Kyle’s first child, son Brexton, on May 18, 2015. In an October 2023 Instagram post, Kyle and Samantha shared a joint post congratulating him on one of his races, highlighting how he was taking after his father.

“Congrats Brexton we are so proud of you! For being so young you put in so much effort watching film, testing, asking questions, siming and it’s paid off! We love to watch you accomplish your dreams! #proudparents,” the couple wrote on Instagram.

On May 10, 2022, the couple welcomed their daughter Lennix via surrogate. The couple previously went through a journey with infertility, including an unsuccessful pregnancy attempt via embryo transfer and a miscarriage.

“We’re beyond overjoyed that God has blessed us with our beautiful girl. Our tiny little peanut has a head full of crazy hair and a big brother waiting at home who can’t wait to meet her!!!” the couple shared on Instagram at the time announcing Lennix's birth.

“Thank you everyone who has followed our journey and prayed along side of us. Our hearts are bursting with happiness,” the caption concluded.

She is an IVF advocate and started an IVF grant program with Kyle

Samantha has been open about her struggles with infertility and how it led to a miscarriage and issues in her marriage. She is an outspoken IVF advocate and has helped others by launching the Bundle of Joy Fund with Kyle to help couples with the costs associated with IVF treatment, which she spoke to PEOPLE about in 2020.

“Seeing the families we have helped with their babies has helped us to make sense of our own difficult journey to conceive,” Samantha said. “It was worth all the pain, shots, the months of trying and roller coaster of emotions because it gave us the unique perspective of what these couples face and a strong desire to want to help others.”

Samantha also wrote the book Fighting Infertility: Finding My Inner Warrior Through Trying to Conceive, IVF and Miscarriage. Kyle posted on Instagram about how proud he was of his wife for sharing their hardships.

“This has been a tough journey for us which is close to a decade in the making. We’ve been through a lot, but also have learned so much and fought so hard to get to the point where we are today. I love you, and I am so proud of your strength and everything you have accomplished from being an amazing mother to Brexton, and helping other couples complete their families with the @bundleofjoyfund,” Kyle wrote on Instagram.

She was one of the stars of the reality show Racing Wives

CMT announced exclusively to PEOPLE in October 2018 that they would premiere the show Racing Wives. The show ran for one season in 2019, with Samantha as one of the main stars, as well as Ashley Busch, her sister-in-law at the time and now ex-wife of Kyle’s brother Kurt Busch.

The show gave insight into the personal lives of the wives of racing legends Kyle and Kurt, who were both named by NASCAR as two of the 75 greatest drivers of all time.

Taking place in Lake Norman, N.C. — the city Kyle and Samantha lived in — the show shared moments from the couple's relationship, including their IVF journey and helping others with the Bundle of Joy Fund.

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