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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The shocking death of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch is being felt across the world, and many remain in disbelief that the legendary driver died last week due to complications from pneumonia, including Rick Barnes of Tennessee.
After a weekend filled with tributes from several sports leagues, including the NHL, MLB, IndyCar and PGA, the news is still shocking to comprehend.
For some, seeing NASCAR pay tribute to the driver last weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 was exactly the kind of thing needed to help the sport get through the days following the tragic news.
KYLE BUSCH ON “HANGING OUT WITH SEAN HANNITY”
Following his death last Thursday at a local Charlotte hospital, the news of Kyle Busch’s untimely death sent shockwaves through the sports community.
Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton Busch, greet fans during driver introductions before the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on February 19, 2024. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
One such fan who follows the sport closely is Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, who grew up attending races in Hickory, North Carolina.
An avid NASCAR fan, the shocking news of Busch’s passing is still difficult to comprehend.
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“As a NASCAR fan, I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” Barnes told OutKick. “I was really in disbelief because I was thinking about Kyle Busch at 41 and wondering how this could happen. As I followed him so closely, I just think it got to a point where when you’re his age you probably feel like you can overcome anything and keep going. It seems like he really pushed himself to almost a tragic death.
“I can only imagine what it’s like for him, I had double pneumonia and I know how I felt. I can only imagine him climbing into that simulator with those G forces coming at him, it must have totally overwhelmed him…he probably couldn’t move.”
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes protests a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida in Gainesville, Fla., Jan. 7, 2025. (Alan Youngblood/AP)
NASCAR community rallies around Kyle Busch’s family
From the opening montage featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Amazon Prime to the countless drivers paying tribute to Busch in different ways, it hasn’t been difficult to notice Busch’s impact on the NASCAR world.
But it was the moment CEO Steve O’Donnell took the microphone to speak with fans at home and in the crowd, flanked by Kyle’s wife Samantha and their two children, that the tenor changed.
As “Amazing Grace” played, with NASCAR drivers behind the Busch family, we began to realize we had lost a legend. For their part, the organization did a fantastic job honoring Kyle, while his son Brexton hugged his mother Samantha tightly around the hips.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Samantha Busch, Brexton Busch and NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell stand on the grid during a memorial ceremony for Kyle Busch before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on May 24, 2026. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
If anything, NASCAR knows how to honor those who were part of their family, something Tennessee’s Rick Barnes pointed out.
“I have great respect for NASCAR because I think they have the upper hand on America,” Barnes recalled to OutKick. “The way they respect what came before them, they never lost their way in terms of history. They totally continued to honor that. You have a guy who is truly one of the greatest of all time, I think they’ve done a great job with that.
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“The saddest part is obviously his wife and two kids, knowing that I think he wanted to one day race with his son, which is what makes NASCAR so beautiful.”
It is clear that Kyle Busch will leave a lasting legacy and will never be forgotten, as the NASCAR world continues to honor the legendary driver.
