Why NASCAR will race this weekend in wake of Kyle Busch&x27;s sudden death Jay BusbeeFri, May 22, 2026 at 9:55 PM UTC 0 Kyle Busch was one of the titans of modernday NASCAR and one of the finest drivers in the sport’s history. His death Thursday was sudden and shocking, coming just days before one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races, the CocaCola 600. Given Busch’s stature, it’s reasonable to ask whether the race, scheduled for Sunday night, should be postponed to allow time for the sport to grieve.
Why NASCAR will race this weekend in wake of Kyle Busch's sudden death
Jay BusbeeFri, May 22, 2026 at 9:55 PM UTC
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Kyle Busch was one of the titans of modern-day NASCAR and one of the finest drivers in the sport’s history. His death Thursday was sudden and shocking, coming just days before one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races, the Coca-Cola 600.
Given Busch’s stature, it’s reasonable to ask whether the race, scheduled for Sunday night, should be postponed to allow time for the sport to grieve. But that’s simply not how NASCAR handles these matters — and, more to the point, not how any driver would want to be honored.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell spoke to the media late Friday afternoon, and he began by describing Busch as “an American badass behind the wheel.” He gave a personal resonance to Busch’s death when he characterized NASCAR as a weekly “family reunion.” And he quickly dispelled any thought about postponing or canceling the Coca-Cola 600 because of Busch’s death.
“What minimal conversations did take place between (Richard Childress Racing), ourselves, family, it was, Kyle Busch would probably be pretty pissed off if we didn't race,” O’Donnell said. “So we're going to honor his memory and make sure people know what he was all about.”
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Putting aside the logistical concerns of postponing a massive event with just 48 hours notice, NASCAR doesn’t cancel races because of drivers’ deaths, simply because that’s not the racer’s credo. It’s a holdover from the days when death on the track was far more common than today; you don’t slow down for death, no matter who it is. You just keep racing.
When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001 on the final lap of the Daytona 500, a tearful sport gathered the very next week at Rockingham to race. Rookie Kevin Harvick, driving Earnhardt’s car with the No. 29 in place of Earnhardt’s famous No. 3, finished 14th. Two weeks after that, Harvick won in Atlanta, and held up three fingers as he circled the track in celebration.
Austin Hill, who’s never driven more than five Cup-level races in a season and has only one top-10 to his name, has the unenviable task of taking over for Busch. Hill will drive the No. 33; Richard Childress Racing has already indicated it will reserve Busch’s No. 8 until his son Brexton is ready to take it. Other honors throughout the weekend, both at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indy 500, will pay tribute to Kyle Busch.
“The family reunions week to week are just not going to be the same without him,” O’Donnell said, “but we're going to do our damn best to continue his legacy and support his family.”
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: May 23, 2026 at 01:27AM on Source: RED MAG
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