Two greats gone too soon.
Just two weeks ago, NASCAR legend Kyle Busch sadly passed away on May 21st, 2026 at the age of 41 due to pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. It was very sudden, and in the short time since his death, tons of tributes from fans and drivers have poured in.
He left behind his wife, Samantha, and two children, Brexton (11) and Lennix (4), as well as his parents and fellow race car driver in his brother, Kurt Busch. It’s just so incredibly sad, and my thoughts and prayers continue to go out to his family who have experienced such a devastating tragedy.
And outside of his family, another important figure in Kyle’s life, Richard Childress, the owner Kyle’s his car, has spoken about how horrible this time has been, and during a recent press conference, Childress revealed that he was going to announce a contract extension for Kyle Busch at Michigan International Speedway this past weekend.
He still held the presser, publicly addressing the unexpected death of Kyle for the first time since the two-time Cup Series champions passing. Of course, it’s not the first time Childress has experienced the tragic loss of a driver, as the late, great Dale Earnhardt was driving for him in 2001, when he tragically passed away during the Daytona 500.
He says he just “feels so bad” for the family and everyone who knew Kyle, admitting that he understandably “hasn’t slept very good lately”:
“You lose two of the greatest drivers that’s ever driven a car in NASCAR and to have to go through it again. I just feel so bad for the family and the employees and everybody. But yeah, I mean, I haven’t slept very good lately.”
Childress had spoken to Busch the night before he was hospitalized, and he says that Kyle was feeling very hopeful that he was going to start winning a lot of racing as his cars with RCR had vastly improved this season:
“He said, ‘You give me cars like you gave me the last three weeks, I will make The Chase this year. We were that confident.”
RCR made the decision to switch to the No. 33 following Kyle’s passing and Austin Hill has driven Busch’s car the past two races, which he will do for the rest of the season:
“We don’t want to put a burden back on everybody trying to go from one driver to the other.”
Childress previously announced that he would save the No. 8 for the possible Cup career of Kyle’s 11-year-old son Brexton, and Childress admits knowing the things that Kyle had planned to do with Brexton is the “toughest part” of all of this. Two young children lost a father, and it’s just absolutely heartbreaking:
“Talking to Kyle at different times, knowing his plans and what he had in the future for Brexton and his family. The many things that we all could have done together, that was probably the toughest part of this whole thing. It’s never easy. They just gave me a little bit of time to get my head right.”
Like many fans, Childress thinks Busch should immediately be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which elected its 2027 class last month. Kyle’s brother, Kurt Busch, was elected to the HOF in 2026:
“Kyle will go down in history as one of the greatest race drivers that’s ever been. His legacy is that he was a man that a lot of people thought he was tough to deal with, and that he wouldn’t last long.
He is a man that loves his sport. He loved it so much he wanted to see his family carry on in it. To see the enjoyment in Kyle’s eyes watching his son race was just unbelievable.”
Brexton and Kyle’s father, Tom, teamed up for an emotional tribute to Kyle, as Kyle’s father, Tom, got behind the wheel, driving the #51 Legends Car that Kyle was supposed to drive in the Masters Division of the Summer Shootout. His lead the pack in a “missing man” formation during the pace laps, and after that, the other cars parked on pit road, allowing Tom to do an honorary lap alone for his son. And throughout all of that, Brexton was in the flagstand, waving the green flag, then a double-checkered as his grandpa drove the car.
Tom Busch, father of Kyle Busch, leads the field for an honorary lap in the No. 51 as @brextonbusch waves the green and checkered flags. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6bGWSFr4RM
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) June 9, 2026
Both Kurt and Samantha have shared posts recently thanking fans for all of their love and support in the wake of this tragedy:
