Instead, his family stood on the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway as NASCAR honored one of the sport’s most accomplished and polarizing stars following his death earlier this week at age 41.
Busch’s wife, Samantha Busch, their children Brexton and Lennix, his parents Tom and Gaye Busch, and older brother Kurt Busch participated in a pre-race remembrance ceremony before thousands of fans.
During the emotional tribute, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell addressed the crowd and Busch’s family directly.
“Every racetrack was Kyle Busch’s home,” O’Donnell said. “He competed like he had something to prove every single race, when in reality he had already proven everything.”
O’Donnell praised Busch not only for his accomplishments on the track, but for the quieter moments away from it.
“What I think we’ll miss the most isn’t the wins,” he said. “It’s the guy who quietly wanted to help a teammate, give some advice, the husband, the father, the guy who quietly did things for others when no one was watching.”
As he spoke, Samantha Busch held tightly onto Brexton while visibly emotional during the ceremony.
“Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you,” O’Donnell said. “Brexton and Lennix, your dad loves you with all his heart.”
The ceremony also included a flower-laying tribute and a moment of silence before the field rolled onto the track.
Then came one of the weekend’s most emotional moments.
During the pace laps, the entire field formed a missing-man formation, leaving the pole position empty in honor of Busch and his iconic No. 8 Chevrolet.
Busch died May 21 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, according to his family. He had been preparing to compete in the Coca-Cola 600, a race he won in 2018.
Earlier this week, Richard Childress Racing announced Busch’s No. 8 would be reserved for his son Brexton should he someday pursue a NASCAR career.
