CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell delivered an emotional tribute to Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell addressed the Busch family directly. He emphasized the support from the NASCAR community, stating, Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you.

Tears welled in Samantha Busch’s eyes as she embraced 11-year-old Brexton, who dreams of becoming a racer. Both wore black T-shirts reading ‘Battle of the Busches.’ NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell stood alongside the Busch family during the ceremony.

Kurt Busch, Kyle’s older brother and a former Cup Series champion, joined the tribute with their parents, Tom and Gaye. O’Donnell remarked, Kyle Busch is NASCAR. He was one of a kind and there will never be another. A moment of silence ensued.

Kyle Busch passed away Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia advanced into sepsis. His untimely death left a deep impact on the motorsports community and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway paid homage to the two-time Cup Series champion with a large black No. 8 and his signature displayed on the frontstretch grass and shown on the videoboard. The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s flag during pre-race activities. Every car in the field bore Busch’s decal. During the pace lap, cars arranged in the missing man formation, and on the eighth lap, the public address system and TV commentators paused, maintaining a solemn silence.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Trucks Series win with a bow imitating Busch’s signature move. Similarly, Ross Chastain followed suit after winning a rain-shortened race.

Joey Logano, a fellow Cup Series driver, stated, When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the first that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was. Fans showed up in large numbers wearing shirts emblazoned with ‘Rowdy’ and ‘KFB.’

NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch honored his brother by laying white roses on the number 8 painted on the infield grass at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing honored Busch by altering the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to mirror that used by Busch in his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.

The opening prayer at the event mentioned Busch by name, and race officials illuminated the scoring pylon with his name, birth year, and 2026 on lap 18. Despite the grandeur of Indianapolis’ major IndyCar race, Busch’s influence was evident throughout a city known as the “Racing Capital of the World.”

Katherine Legge, reflecting on Busch’s legacy, remarked, It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional. But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history, he was a legend.

As Indy hosted its largest race of the year, competitors raced with heavy hearts, remembering Busch’s impact. Josef Newgarden, a two-time Indy winner, expressed his grief, saying, How can you not be in shock over the situation? I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.