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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The shocking death of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch is being felt around the world, with many still in disbelief that the legendary driver died last week of complications from pneumonia, including Tennessee’s Rick Barnes.
After a weekend filled with tributes from multiple sports leagues that include the NHL, MLB, IndyCar and the PGA, the news is still shocking to comprehend.
For some, watching NASCAR put together a beautiful tribute to the driver last weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 was just the type of thing needed to help the sport get through the days after the tragic news.
KYLE BUSCH ON “HANGING OUT WITH SEAN HANNITY”
After passing away last Thursday at a local Charlotte hospital, the news of Kyle Busch’s untimely death sent shock waves through the sports community.
Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton Busch, wave to fans during driver introductions before the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 19, 2024. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
One of those fans who follow the sport closely is Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, who grew up going to the races in Hickory, North Carolina.
An avid NASCAR follower, the shocking news of Busch’s death is still hard to wrap his head around.
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“Being 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 even happen. Having followed it very closely, I just think it’s gotten to a point where when you’re his age you probably feel like you can overcome anything and keep going. It sounds like he really pushed himself to almost like a tragic death.
“I can only imagine what it’s like for him, I’ve had double pneumonia and I know what I felt like. I can only imagine him climbing into that simulator with the g-forces coming at him, it just had to completely overwhelm his whole… 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., on Jan. 7, 2025. (Alan Youngblood/AP)
The NASCAR community is rallying around the family of Kyle Busch
From the opening montage with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Amazon Prime, to the countless drivers who honored Busch in various ways, it wasn’t hard to notice the impact Busch had on the world of NASCAR.
But it was the moment CEO Steve O’Donnell took the microphone to address the 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, the realization began to set in that we had lost a legend. For their part, the organization did a great job of honoring Kyle as his son Braxton 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, NC on May 24, 2026. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
If anything, NASCAR knows how to honor those who were part of their family, as Tennessee’s Rick Barnes pointed out.
“I have a lot of respect for NASCAR because I think they have America beat,” Barnes recalled to OutKick. “The way they respect what’s come before them, they’ve never lost sight of the history. They’ve absolutely continued to honor that. You’ve got a guy who’s really one of the greatest of all time, I thought they did a great job with that.
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“The sad part is obviously his wife and two kids right there, knowing that I think one day he would be racing with his son, which is what makes NASCAR so beautiful.”
It is clear that Kyle Busch will leave a lasting legacy and never be forgotten as the NASCAR world continues to honor the legendary driver moving forward.
