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[/media-credit]While NASCAR race fans may know of Kyle Busch’s passion on the track as driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, they may not be as familiar with the many passions of his wife Samantha.
One of her biggest and most obvious passions is, of course, her husband, as they are still newlyweds in the midst of a sport that where the spotlight is often on them.
But Samantha Busch is also very passionate about family, hers, Kyle’s and the family they hope to start together sometime in the future.
“We still go and do date nights and I cook dinner for him,” Samantha Busch said. “We still hold hands, so we still feel like newlyweds.”
“I think the biggest thing is that you always lean on each other,” Busch continued. “We’re each others’ rocks. When he has a bad day, I’m here for him and when I have a bad day, he’s there for me.”
“Also, we have learned the importance of family,” Busch continued. “Kyle’s parents have been married for thirty some years and my parents have been for 26 years, so just learning from them, like what things to not fight about, has been helpful.”
“I’ve also learned from the other couples here,” Busch said. “We’re talking about having kids in two or three years, so picking the brains of all the girls here that are pregnant or have kids about how they do it has also been helpful.”
In addition to her passion about her family, Samantha Busch has also become focused on her interactions with women, especially young women who seek her advice on everything for fashion to healthy eating and a better body image.
Much of this interaction has been possible through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and even her own website. And while Busch most certainly shares updates from the racing world, she also knows that for many of these young women, she has become a role model and even mentor.
“This year has taken off with a lot of women in racing via Twitter,” Samantha Busch said. “I kind of give them the whole racing aspect with updates and what not, but I also add more of the girlie touch.”
“It’s really taken off this year and I love it,” Busch continued. “I have girls that I help with for prom and other events.”
“A lot of women email me for all kinds of tips, from how to eat healthy, to my work out videos to even makeup product reviews,” Busch said. “I try to be honest and I have really enjoyed that this year. It has really taken off.”
Samantha Busch is careful to practice what she preaches and so is devoted to trying to eat healthy and exercise, a challenge for both her and her husband while spending so much time on the road. And yes, she admits that she does have her own ‘guilty pleasures.’
“The bus is my work out area,” Samantha Busch said, who regularly exercises even in those close quarters of their motor home. “I love to work out.”
“And I love to cook,” Busch continued. “I really never enjoyed cooking until I married Kyle because it was just me. It’s easy to know what to eat but it’s making that call to choose the non-fat or the low-fat or the vegetables over this or that.”
“We splurge, don’t get me wrong,” Busch said. “Our decadent passion is ice cream. Kyle and I could eat ice cream every day if we had the choice.”
“I tell girls that I don’t follow a super-strict diet because when you do then you’re just tempted,” Busch continued. “So, if you give yourself a little bit of something, then you’re good.”
Samantha Busch also admits to one other ‘guilty pleasure’, one that is shared by many others involved in Facebook. She just loves to pin.
“I’m addicted,” Busch said. “It’s bad. It’s like 2 AM and Kyle will wake up and say, ‘Get off of Pinterest’.”
“And I’m like, ‘Just let me pin one more thing.’ Busch continued. “It’s so addictive. But it’s really cool.”
“I planned a baby shower off of Pinterest for my best friend,” Busch said. “I love it. Whoever created that, I’ve lost countless hours to Pinterest.”
While Busch loves fashion and fitness, especially in sharing that with girls and young women, she also is passionate about education. In fact, she just accomplished a major milestone in her own academic life, achieving a Master’s degree from Austin P. State University.
“I graduated!” Busch said proudly. “I have a Master’s in industrial organizational psychology.”
“I actually did my thesis on Joe Gibbs Racing and how they reward their crew members and different things they can do in an ailing economy, such as health and wellness, as well as verbal rewards,” Busch continued. “I defended my thesis and they loved it.”
“It’s good to be done,” Busch said. “People are like, what are you going to do with your degree, but I think it applies a lot to racing and also to Kyle Busch Motorsports. “
“I hope it will help people around us.”
Speaking of the team that bears her husband’s name, Samantha Busch is also passionate about that endeavor as well.
“Kyle Busch Motorsports is awesome,” Samantha Busch said. “We thought it was going to be easy and then the first five races came and it was tough and was really hard.”
“It was kind of nice to go through the struggle as a whole family,” Busch continued. “Kurt and Kyle are so close this year.”
“Obviously, they are brothers and have had struggles, but this year them racing together, they are together for hours,’ Busch said. “I think it’s been really great for them and it’s fun to watch.”
“And even better, we got our first win under our belts, so it’s good.”
So, what does the future hold for Samantha Busch, especially given her passions, from education to fashion to helping young women with self-esteem and body image issues?
“I don’t know,” Busch readily admits.”I’m like a moving target.”
“I always travel with Kyle and his racing is our life,” Busch continued. “But I have to find something that is my own and in my own realm.”
“I would love to be more in front of the camera,” Samantha Busch said, after a stint with the SPEED channel. “I love working with Speed, especially in the social garage.”
“It’s really fun and I’d do whatever they asked me to do,” Busch continued. “I’m not shy so that’s a plus.”
But Busch would also like to work more on the retail and foundation side of the Kyle Busch Motorsports business as well.
“I don’t know anything about cars honestly,” Busch admitted. “My involvement with the team crew guys is that I like to bring them food and treats. That’s my role on the car side of things.”
“But I do a lot with the retail,” Busch continued. “I have four or five shirts out right now; one has glitter, one is a V-neck and one is more graffiti-ish.”
“We submit our designs to the sponsors. I’m going to be designing more for Monster Energy and also for the 18 team,” Busch said. “So, hopefully they will let me do more.”
“With the Kyle Busch Foundation, we’re kind of taking this year off to revamp and expand it to get partnerships with other, already established foundations,” Busch said. “We support the five homes and always will, but we’re looking at other kinds of partnerships right now and how we can help each other.”
“Maybe in the future, I’d love to do a foundation event with Zumba where everyone donated to dance together.”
But most of all, Samantha Busch is passionate about finding that perfect blend and balance between wife, fashionista, fitness guru, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. And all of that with a focus on helping young women achieve their life goals.
“One of my favorite things is getting to meet the women fans and hearing their stories,” Samantha Busch said. “At our fan day, I had this lady tell me she’s already lost 40 pounds.”
“I’ve had a girl who said she had image problems and now she’s gotten over them,” Busch continued. “That’s one of the best things.”
“I just want to show girls how to be healthier and I really take to the women out here,” Busch said. “I love the guys that follow me on Twitter but I relate more with the women and I love helping them.”
“I’m open to anything that helps someone else.”
