Charlotte Motor Speedway will honor the life and legacy of NASCAR icon Kyle Busch with a special Celebration of Life following the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Ecosave 200 on Friday, during Bank of America 400 NASCAR weekend.
The ceremony will be free for fans to attend. Fans with tickets to Friday night's race are invited to remain at the speedway as the NASCAR community comes together to celebrate Busch through stories, memories, iconic moments and the lasting impact he made on the sport that embodied his "Rowdy" nickname.
Busch's widow, Samantha, will join the program alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Joe Gibbs, NASCAR on FOX play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, and Cup Series drivers Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon, who will share personal reflections on Busch's life and legacy. The evening will conclude with a special performance by country music star Cole Swindell.
As a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver at Charlotte Motor Speedway across all three series, Busch's influence reached every level of NASCAR. While his 69 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victories remain the most in series history, his legacy extends far beyond the record book through the passion, intensity and mentorship he brought to the sport.
Ahead of this weekend’s memorial, drivers reflected on Busch's unmatched talent, competitive spirit and the lasting influence he had on those who raced with him, learned from him and were inspired by his career.
Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports
“For me, as I was progressing through the ranks and running some different races, it was really cool to race against a guy that was dominating on Sundays. He was, you know, spending his spare time coming and racing some short track races across the country. Just really cool to kind of have that opportunity to race against a guy like that and also an opportunity to prove yourself, you know, to you kind of knew where the bar was at, knew he was pretty good at what he did.
Daniel Suarez, No. 7, Spire Motorsports
“I have so many great stories with Kyle. I mean, he went from being an idol to being a mentor to being a teammate and then he became a friend. But I would say that one of the coolest stories that I had with him is that he was helping me a lot through my rookie season in the series all the time. And when I won my first race in Michigan in 2016, I passed Kyle coming to a white flag. And after I won the race, he came to victory lane and he gave me a hug and he said, hey, no more calls anymore because I used to call him every week, you know, just to get advice. So he'd say, no, no, no, no. And I thought that was very funny. I know he was joking, but sometimes he was being real. So that was that's something I always love about Kyle, that he was funny, but also he was very straightforward and I really love that.”
Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports
“One thing that I always looked at and envied was his tenacity to finish a race. There wasn't a moment where, ‘hey, my race is over.’ It could be the world's worst day for him on the racetrack, and you know, he was out there and still battling tooth and nail to the checkered flag. And I've tried to adopt some of that into how I race and how I go, because when you're battling against it, you see really quickly why he was as successful on the racetrack as he was.”
Kaden Honeycutt, No. 11, TRICON Garage
“I think he just loved to win. I think he loved to win in anything he drove. That's kind of like what I like to do. I like to drive anything I possibly can, even on off weeks. I feel like if you can go and do something as he has done and win in everything he can possibly touch, it will make you one of the best. So he was that, if not the best to ever do it.”
Daniel Hemric, No. 19, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing
“Kyle single-handedly went to bat for me so many times. Picked the phone up, vouched for me, called owners, called sponsors and urged people to speak with me and to give me chances. And just on a personal level, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be standing here today. I know the opportunities I had and will continue to have in our sport are warranted because he was willing to give a guy, at the time, who was just a short track racer in Super Late Models, the chance to race toe-to-toe with him on the short track level at times when he could. Having a guy like that in your corner changed my entire life. I mean, it changed my entire life, my family's life, our path, our journey. I’m incredibly grateful to have had him in my life. Although it was a way too short amount of time, I am eternally grateful for him and his family and what they've done for our entire sport.”
Layne Riggs, No. 34, Front Row Motorsports
“Kyle Busch is the pedestal. Everybody wants to be him. Everybody wants to have the stats, the wins that he had, and we know we'll never have a chance to do that. But he's always going to be the goal. That's what we always shoot and strive for and he was always the mentor and the person that we all looked up to. We're all going to miss him dearly and can't wait to see the tribute.”
TICKETS:
Bank of America 400 weekend tickets are available now at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under can experience all the action for just $10, and fans can elevate their race-day experience with a Track Pass upgrade featuring stage-front access, driver introductions and Sunday’s pre-race concert.
MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following X, Instagram and Facebook, or by downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.
