R.I.P. Kyle Busch (1985-2026)
Yesterday morning, Kyle Busch’s Twitter account announced that he had been admitted to the hospital and would not be competing in any races during the weekend. Drivers miss races all the time, no big deal. He’ll be back in a week, maybe two, and we’ll all move on.
The news broke out in the late afternoon. My main circles on Discord were steamrolled. The news of Busch’s passing left me in disbelief, unable to accept the news as fact. Last week, we chatted about how Busch’s plans for him and his son Brexton’s careers would unfold. Six days before his passing, he won the NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover Speedway. Upon being asked why celebrating his latest of 69 Truck wins never felt old, he answered that it’s because you never know when it’s your last. Three days before his passing, he was celebrating his son’s 11th birthday. And now he’s… gone, for real.
On May 21st, we lost one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. He won two championships in the Cup Series, the first after recovering from a broken leg and foot. He amassed 234 wins across all three national divisions, 63 of them in the Cup Series. His winning rate was so high that he had won a race at every track on the schedule at one point. In the lower divisions, rules were placed to limit appearances made by Cup drivers.
He was more than just an immensely talented driver. Busch was a character as colourful as the candy-decorated Camrys he drove for most of his career. He’d rough up competitors, he’d get up close and personal when things got heated, and he’d embrace the boos from fans reacting to his villainous persona. As an owner in the Truck Series, not only did he provide employment to dozens of talented people, but gave young drivers a platform to hone their craft and make it to the Cup Series: Wallace, Jones, Bell, Gragson, Gilliland, and Nemechek are among the many to wheel his trucks. And this wasn’t a for-profit venture: he was losing money, and he’d be the first to tell you.
Over the past 20 or so years, we witnessed a phenomenal talent, a loving husband and father, and a highly respected member of the NASCAR community. I offer my deepest condolences to his family and the grieving racing world, not far removed from the tragic passings of Alex Zanardi and Juha Mittinen. Dear reader, please cherish the moments you have with your loved ones. As Kyle said about celebrating wins, you never know when your last moments with them really are.
For more reading, I recommend this piece by lifelong Kyle Busch fan Alanis King.