NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell tells Kyle Busch family 'we got you' before start of Coca-Cola 600

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell delivered an emotional speech to Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix, before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Standing on the frontstretch, O’Donnell assured the family, ‘This sport stands with you, and you and your children are NASCAR family forever.’ Samantha, wearing a black T-shirt with ‘Battle of the Busches,’ wiped tears as she embraced 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Busch’s death at 41 from sepsis complications shocked the motorsports world, and his legacy was honored with a black No. 8 and his signature on the track’s grass, along with his name on the videoboard. The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s flag during pre-race ceremonies, and all 39 cars in the field displayed his decal. On the pace lap, drivers formed a missing man formation in tribute. The race paused for a moment of silence on the eighth lap, with silence observed on the public address system and television broadcasts. At the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing altered Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car font to match Busch’s signature style from his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch’s name, birth year (1980), and 2026 were lit on the scoring pylon during the race, while the opening prayer mentioned him by name. Fans across both events wore shirts bearing ‘Rowdy’ and ‘KFB,’ Busch’s iconic monikers. Busch’s brother, Kurt, and parents, Tom and Gaye, attended the tribute at Charlotte. NASCAR drivers like Joey Logano and Ross Chastain paid homage, with Chastain mimicking Busch’s post-race bows after his O’Reilly Auto Parts victory. Busch’s 234 career wins across NASCAR’s national series cemented his status as a legend, with Katherine Legge calling him ‘one of the greatest drivers of all time.’