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Kyle Busch was once kicked out of a track for being too young. Now the NASCAR champ turns 40

JENNA FRYER

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3 min read

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch was hyped for NASCAR greatness long before he was a teenager by his Hall of Fame nominee brother, who vowed “if you think I’m good, wait until you see my little brother.”

Busch's debut in a NASCAR national series race was delayed, though, when he turned up at California Speedway in 2001 intent to run the Truck Series race. He dominated practice in a race sponsored by Marlboro but, because he was only 16 at the time, was ruled ineligible to compete over NASCAR's interpretation of the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.