Since the tragic passing of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch last week, there have been no shortage of tributes throughout the motorsports world. CARS Tour driver Donovan Strauss will be doing his own tribute to “Rowdy” on Saturday night at Langley Speedway in Virginia.
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2026 CARS Tour at Langley Speedway
Strauss and his AK Performance team will renumber their No. 98 Late Model Stock Car to No. 51, the number that Busch made so legendary with so many wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and they will recolor the car to match Busch’s NOS Energy Drink scheme that he drove to many victories over the years. Busch drove this particular NOS Energy Drink No. 51 scheme to a win in the 2009 Snowball Derby, the biggest Late Model race in North America.
“For me, the reason I wanted to do this is because of the impact Kyle had on my life over the last 15 years,” Strauss told FloRacing. “I grew up as a diehard KB fan. I was that little boy who wouldn’t go play with his friends because he needed to watch Kyle race on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays.”
Much like it has everyone associated with racing in America, the passing of Kyle Busch last week has greatly affected Strauss. Strauss said he started racing because he wanted to be just like Busch.
“These last few days I’ve done a lot of reflecting, and I remembered the true reason why I started racing. And that was to be just like him. In my first few years after I started racing I ran the 51 because of Kyle. Maybe after this I’ll make it come back for good.”
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Over the years Busch made a bunch of schemes and numbers iconic, which comes as a result of winning so many races throughout his legendary career. But Strauss said he and his team chose this particular scheme for a reason.
“It was really hard to pick, but I remember watching him run this car in a Late Model race I think it was in 2010 or 2011. He won a lot of races in general, but this blue and orange car with either the 51 or the 18 on it was just always an iconic car on the race track. You knew it was going to be the car to beat.”
Strauss enters Saturday’s race at Langley Speedway still searching for his first CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car victory. He said that winning on Saturday night would obviously be special because it would be his first, but winning in this scheme would make it mean so much more.
“To win in this car would be beyond special,” said Strauss. “It would be something I’d never forget. To be honest, even doing this is something I’ll never forget. Just being able to honor his legacy is special to me as the young boy who was just a fan. I’d be in tears for sure.”
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