NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One week after the death of Kyle Busch shook the NASCAR garage, Richard Childress Racing is still grappling with a loss that Austin Dillon described as unlike anything the organization has faced before.
Speaking Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, Dillon reflected on an emotional week inside RCR and revealed the message that has helped guide the team through the tragedy.
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According to Dillon, that message has been simple.
“The message this past week has been ‘ride for the brand.’”
For an organization built around family, loyalty and decades of shared history, the past several days have tested everyone inside the RCR shop. Dillon called it “one of the toughest weeks of RCR’s history” and praised both NASCAR and fellow competitors for the support shown to the team since Busch’s death.
As difficult as the week has been, Dillon said the focus has gradually shifted toward honoring Busch in the way he believes the two-time Cup Series champion would have wanted.
Not by standing still. But by racing.
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RCR Believes Kyle Busch Would Want The Team Moving Forward
Throughout the week, RCR held multiple meetings as employees, team leaders and family members tried to process the loss.
Dillon said team president Mike Verlander addressed the entire organization during a company-wide meeting, while Motor Racing Outreach chaplain Nick Terry delivered remarks that many within the team found especially meaningful.
The gathering ultimately returned to a common theme.
Making Busch proud.
Dillon explained that he wrote a personal letter after returning home following the news. The process helped him begin moving forward while reflecting on what Busch meant to him both personally and professionally.
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“It was from the heart, and it’s how I felt about Kyle,” Dillon said. “And it’s gonna hurt for a long time, but I know the character he was, he’d want us to go kick butt.”
That mindset has become a rallying point throughout the organization as RCR prepares for the next chapter.
The team still faces major decisions, including determining who will ultimately take over Busch’s former ride, which now carries the No. 33. Dillon said those discussions will happen over time and expressed confidence in Austin Hill’s ability to step into the role for now.
But on Saturday, the focus remained less on the future lineup and more on the people affected by the loss.
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Richard Childress Is Leaning On Same Resilience That Defined RCR Before
Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon talking on pit road before NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway.
Dillon also spoke about the impact the tragedy has had on team owner Richard Childress.
He described the situation as “very hard” on his grandfather but said Childress remains remarkably resilient despite the circumstances.
The driver revealed that Childress and Austin’s father, Mike Dillon, were at the hospital with Busch, while he remained at the race shop helping keep team members informed as information became available.
The experience has also sparked memories of another defining moment in RCR history.
When asked what he has learned from the way Childress handled the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, Dillon acknowledged that he was too young at the time to fully understand everything happening around him.
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Now, experiencing a similar loss as an adult, he sees the strength of the relationships that helped carry the organization through that period.
Going through this tragedy firsthand has given him a greater appreciation for the employees and team members who lived through both moments.
“Hopefully this time around, we can do the same thing that they did the last time around.”
For now, that means leaning on one another, honoring Busch’s legacy and continuing the work he helped build.
Or, as Dillon put it, riding for the brand.
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