For many years he combined working the family farm with county fair driving. Once he turned to driving full-time, he achieved great success. In 1963 he won the National Driving Championship and nine times he was among the "Top 10" race winners in North America and was one of the first inductees into the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1979. 
                               
Racing mostly in the Chicago area, his career totals were 2,255 wins with earnings of almost $3 million. He also captured numerous driving titles at every major Chicago venue.  He owned 53 horses in his career and bred 71.

One of Busse's top horses was the open pacer New Kirk, a son of Poplar Abbe-Miss Josephine, who earned $125,032 under Busse's tuteledge, with a 6-year-old record of 2:01.2F.  Another top horse for Busse was Reed's Beauty, a daughter of Don's Adios-Reed's Queen, who earned $79,018 with a record of  3, 2:01.4M.

Don, and his son Daryl Busse are noted to have been the only father and son who have won North American dash titles as drivers, Daryl in 1975 and his father in 1963.

Busse died in 1971 in Chicago Heights, IL.