Remembering Kyle Busch: A Simple Look at Rivalries, Friendship, and Tributes

Published: July 12, 2026, 3:36 p.m. ET

What’s Happening at EchoPark Speedway?

• The Quaker State 400 race is coming up on Sunday at EchoPark Speedway (a racetrack just south of Atlanta in Hampton, Georgia).
• On Saturday, July 11, driver Bubba Wallace spoke with reporters inside the media center and couldn’t help but laugh while remembering old times.
• This weekend’s big talk is about two pairs of rival drivers:
  • Austin Hill and Shane van Gisbergen
  • Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith
• Last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, incidents involving these drivers got them called into the NASCAR hauler.

Important: The "NASCAR hauler" is like a principal’s office on wheels. It’s a trailer where NASCAR’s bosses have private meetings with drivers about their on-track behavior.

Bubba Wallace’s Funny Memory of Kyle Busch

Wallace was asked if he’d ever been called to the hauler for clashing with another driver. He said:

“Oh yeah. Me and Kyle Busch had one after Watkins Glen in 2019. That one was interesting… Makes me miss Kyle.”

Here is what happened back then, explained in simple steps:

1. During a road-course race, Busch (driving the No. 18 Toyota) and Wallace battled side-by-side for a while.
2. Busch shoved his way ahead.
3. Wallace nudged Busch’s back bumper going into a turn, sending Busch’s car spinning.
4. After the race, Wallace gave a blunt response: “I won’t put up with no (expletive). So I flat out wrecked his ass back.”
5. Both drivers were called into the NASCAR hauler to talk it over.

Nearly two months after Busch’s shocking death, Wallace chuckled about the meeting:

“We both agreed to disagree, and I remember he was like, ‘Dude, why don’t you just come up and talk to me after the race?’ I said, ‘That wouldn’t have been good for either of us,’” Wallace said Saturday. “He just looked at me like, ‘Okay.’ Typical Kyle. But yeah, me and KB had a meeting. It was fun.”

Kyle Busch’s Lasting Presence at the Track

Even though Busch is gone, his spirit is all over EchoPark Speedway:

• Fans still wear Busch hats and T-shirts.
• A grassy area near the track has his black No. 8 printed on it.
• The hauler that carries his renumbered car – now No. 33, driven by Austin Hill – still has a big No. 8 on its door.
• TVs around the speedway show Busch highlights, like his 2007 Truck Series win here after being black-flagged (given a penalty flag) for his window net falling down, leading him to drive one-handed at about 180 mph.
• Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota still has Busch’s nickname, “Rowdy,” on the namerail (the strip with the driver’s name) above the window. Busch gave Wallace his first big break in 2013 with a full-time ride on his Truck Series team.

Wallace said: “I think it’s special just to continue to honor him in any way we can.” He plans to keep the “Rowdy” namerail all year.

Who Was Kyle Busch? (ELI5 Version)

Kyle Busch was a superstar in NASCAR (stock-car racing). He died on May 21, 2026, at age 41.

Important: His death certificate says he died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (big words meaning his blood couldn’t clot and he lost too much fluid). These were complications from sepsis (body overwhelmed by infection) caused by presumed bacterial pneumonia (a lung infection) he had for “days to weeks.” His passing shocked the racing world.

Amazing facts about Busch:

• A two-time Cup Series champion (the top level of NASCAR).
• He owns the win records for the Truck Series and the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
• He is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver across its top three national touring circuits with 234 combined victories.
• He holds the Cup Series record for most consecutive seasons with at least one win: from 2005 through 2023.
• His style was fearless, aggressive, and unapologetic. Fans remember his run-ins with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, battles with Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, taunts to crowds, celebratory bows, and his 2015 title won after breaking his leg at Daytona.

He is a lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

More Than a Great Driver: Friends Remember His Heart

Driver Daniel Suarez wants everyone to know Busch was a kind person, not just a tough racer.

• Suarez is from Monterrey, Mexico, and came to the U.S. in 2015 to race full-time in the O’Reilly Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program (a project to welcome people from different backgrounds).
• Busch, without being asked, called Suarez every week to give advice on racing and life in a new country.
• Suarez won the O’Reilly championship the next year and now races for Spire Motorsports—a team based in Busch’s old Truck Series shop.
• Suarez won the first race after Busch’s death (a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte). He said: “He was such a good person. He helped so many people, including myself… legends live forever.”

Other tributes coming up:

• At North Wilkesboro next weekend, Chase Elliott will fill in for two races Busch was supposed to run.
  • Friday: Drives No. 8 late-model for JR Motorsports in the CARS Tour.
  • Saturday: Drives No. 7 Chevrolet truck for Spire Motorsports. This truck is the last one Busch won in, at Dover just six days before he died.
• Elliott said: “It definitely will be special… I would love to go and get a win in honor of him…”
• NASCAR will host a Celebration of Life for Busch on Oct. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the Truck Series race. It’s free to the public.
• Carson Hocevar, Busch’s Truck teammate at Spire, said: “Doing it after the Charlotte truck race, that’s right up Kyle’s alley.”

Important: Bubba Wallace is happy about the celebration but doesn’t want it to be the end of remembering Busch. He said: “I think it’ll be – I don’t want to say closure, because for me I don’t ever want that chapter to close. More so for the fans, I think it’s more for them to have a little bit of closure with Kyle not being here.”

Summary

Kyle Busch was a legendary, record-breaking NASCAR driver who passed away suddenly in May 2026. At EchoPark Speedway, Bubba Wallace and others shared laughs and tears about their times with “Rowdy.” Busch’s nickname lives on cars, fans wear his gear, and his mentoring of drivers like Wallace and Suarez shows his big heart. Chase Elliott will race in his stead next week, and a public memorial happens in October. For NASCAR, Busch’s legend will never fade.

FAQ

Q1: What is the “NASCAR hauler” and why is it like a principal’s office?
A: It’s a trailer where NASCAR officials meet drivers privately after on-track incidents. Just like a student sent to the principal, drivers get a talking-to about their behavior.

Q2: What does “Rowdy” mean?
A: It was Kyle Busch’s nickname, reflecting his bold, fearless, and aggressive racing style.

Q3: What are the different NASCAR series mentioned?
A: The Cup Series is the top level. The Truck Series uses truck-bodied race cars. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is the second tier (like a minor league). Together they are the national touring circuits.

Q4: How did Kyle Busch help other drivers?
A: He gave Bubba Wallace a full-time ride in 2013 and regularly called Daniel Suarez with advice when Suarez moved from Mexico. He mentored many behind the scenes.

Q5: What is the Celebration of Life event?
A: A free public memorial at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 9, 2026, after a Truck Series race, to honor Busch’s life and career.