Ty Gibbs discusses being there for Brexton Busch in the wake of their fathers’ losses, emphasizing friendship over the spotlight, while also praising M&M's return with a Bristol tribute paint scheme ahead of NASCAR Cup action at Bristol.
NASCAR's North Wilkesboro throwback weekend blended nostalgia with faith-themed events as Joey Logano snapped a year-long winless streak to win the Cup race and Brexton Busch won Friday's race, highlighted by an invocation and retro signage that revived the historic track while sparking debate over the pace of modern Cup cars.
NASCAR star Kyle Busch died on May 21, 2026 after pneumonia worsened into sepsis. On his deathbed, his wife Samantha Busch promised to do everything to help their two children, Brexton (11) and Lennix (4), pursue their dreams. Brexton has already returned to racing, finishing sixth in the Cook Out Summer Shootout's Young Lions division, and Richard Childress Racing paused the use of Kyle's No. 8 car until Brexton can take over. Samantha emphasized that racing was a shared family passion and that she will support Lennix if she enters racing; the racetrack remains a home for the family.
Ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, Kyle Busch's wife Samantha, son Brexton, daughter Lennix, brother Kurt Busch and their parents joined a tearful grid memorial days after his passing. The emotional ceremony featured bagpipes playing 'Amazing Grace', a moment of silence led by NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell, and Kurt laying eight roses for his brother. The race began with a missing-man formation and fans held up eight fingers in KB’s memory, while KB’s renumbered No. 33 carried the tribute on track as the No. 8 remains retired unless Brexton someday uses it.
During pre-race ceremonies at the Coca-Cola 600, 11-year-old Owen Larson (Kyle Larson’s son) comforted Brexton Busch by wrapping an arm around him as Kyle Busch’s family and NASCAR officials paid tribute to the late driver who died Thursday after severe pneumonia progressed to sepsis; Richard Childress Racing reserved Busch’s No. 8 for Brexton when he’s ready to pursue a NASCAR career.
Days after Kyle Busch's death from severe pneumonia progressing to sepsis, his wife Samantha and their children Brexton and Lennix attended the Coca-Cola 600 for a pre-race moment of silence led by NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell, with bagpipes playing 'Amazing Grace' as emotions ran high; tributes to Busch also continued at the Indy 500 and other Memorial Day weekend events.
Brexton Busch, 11, paid a heartbreaking tribute to his father, Kyle Busch, by updating his Instagram profile picture to a hug with the late NASCAR champion after his sudden death at 41. Kyle Busch reportedly died after becoming unresponsive while using a racing simulator at a Charlotte, NC facility. In response, Richard Childress Racing suspended the use of Kyle Busch’s No. 8 in the interim, as Brexton’s family and the racing world mourn the loss; Brexton had celebrated his birthday just days earlier, and Kyle Busch’s last professional victory occurred the prior Friday in the Craftsman Truck Series.
In the wake of Kyle Busch’s sudden death at 41, Richard Childress Racing said the No. 8 car, long associated with Busch, will not be used again until his 11-year-old son Brexton takes over; the team will instead campaign the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond as a tribute, underscoring Busch’s impact as one of NASCAR’s most decorated drivers and signaling a planned family succession for the No. 8.