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NEED TO KNOW
- Kyle Busch's car number has been retired in the wake of his death at age 41
- Richard Childress Racing announced that it would suspend use of the No. 8 car and reserve it for future use by his 11-year-old son, Brexton
- The two-time Cup Series champion died on Thursday, May 21, just hours after the Busch family shared that he was hospitalized with a "severe illness"
Kyle Busch's car number has been retired in the wake of his death at age 41.
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On Friday, May 22, Richard Childress Racing announced that it would suspend use of the No. 8 car and reserve it for future use by his 11-year-old son, Brexton.
"Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond," the organization said in a post on social media.
"Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry," the announcement continued. "No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."
Kyle Busch on February 1, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida.Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty
Busch joined RCR in 2023 after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Busch isn't the first RCR driver to be honored with a retired number after his death, according to Fox News. The organization retired No. 3 after Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. His number was replaced with No. 29, which was then driven by Kevin Harvick.
The two-time Cup Series champion, who shares Brexton and daughter Lennix, 4, with wife Samantha, whom he married on New Year's Eve 2021, died on Thursday, just hours after the Busch family shared that he was hospitalized with a "severe illness."
"On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," the joint statement from NASCAR, the Busch family and Richard Childress Racing read.
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The NASCAR legend was born in Las Vegas and began racing at a young age. His father, Tom, was a mechanic and his older brother, Kurt, is also a NASCAR driver.
During the 2000s, the younger Busch quickly established himself as one of NASCAR's biggest stars. His success continued into the 2010s, and he won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2015 and 2019. In 2023, NASCAR included Busch on its list of 75 greatest drivers.
Busch was found unresponsive inside a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, N.C., and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte on Wednesday, May 20, Associated Press reported.
The news of his death came hours after the Busch family shared on Thursday, May 21, that he had been hospitalized and would miss two upcoming races in North Carolina.
During the Watkins Glen International race on May 10, he requested medical attention. At the time, he was heard asking his team over the radio to have a doctor meet him at his bus near the garages. During the broadcast, FOX Sports said Busch had a "sinus cold." A few days later, Busch told a reporter he had a "substantial cough."
His final race came in Dover, Del., on Sunday, May 17, for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race. He was set to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the speedway in Concord, N.C., on Friday, May 22, and on Sunday, May 24 at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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