Obama wants a spin in Kyle Busch's car

WASHINGTON -- Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch made a pit stop at the White House on Wednesday, where he and his Joe Gibbs Racing team were invited to meet President Obama.

"Now, it’s 2016. I think there were some people who thought we were going to see a Bush back here in the White House this year. But they didn't know it was going to be Kyle,” Obama joked.

Busch’s road to the championship was far from easy. He broke his right leg and left foot at Daytona International Speedway in a crash in February 2015, forcing him to miss the first three months of the season.

But that didn’t stop him from coming back better than ever.

“He hunkered down, displaying the same determination in rehab that he’s known for on the track,” Obama said of Busch, who won his first Cup title in November, the fourth for Joe Gibbs Racing.

When the No. 18 Toyota returned to the race track, Busch would win five times - including three in a row and the finale - to make one of the most historic comebacks in NASCAR history. This after he sat out 11 of 36 races.

“Most years when NASCAR comes to town, I make a joke about looking at the car full of longing and feeling kind of wistful, and trying to get Secret Service to let me take a spin,” Obama said. “But this year’s different. In a few months, I can actually do anything I want.”

President Obama didn't applaud Busch just for his racing success.

“For Kyle, it’s not just what he does on the track, it’s what he does off the track,” Obama said.

The Busches - Kyle and wife Samantha - have donated wedding gowns to military brides, helped couples afford fertility treatment and covered expenses for women battling breast cancer.

At the end of Obama’s speech, Busch had a gift for the President. He handed Obama one of his helmets from this season.

“See, when you go on your adventure, you could use that one,” Busch said.