NEED TO KNOW
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Daniel Suárez honored the late Kyle Busch by pointing up to the sky and sharing a few emotional words after winning the Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina
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“To be able to win this race for him is unbelievable,” the NASCAR driver said after the race
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Busch, who was previously scheduled to compete in the race, died on Thursday, May 21, from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis
Daniel Suárez is dedicating his Coca-Cola 600 victory to the late Kyle Busch.
Upon being named the winner of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR driver, 34, celebrated by pointing up to the sky in honor of his late colleague and mentor before going on to embrace his loved ones.
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“Kyle, he was special, man,” Suárez said after the race, as seen in a video shared by Prime Sports. “This one is for Kyle. For Kyle, for Samantha, for Brexton, for Lennix — for all his family.”
“Every win is special,” he continued. “But definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This one is for him. If it wasn’t for Kyle, I wasn’t going to be an Xfinity champion. I wasn’t going to have my shot in the Cup Series. To be able to win this race for him is unbelievable.”
Daniel Suárez takes a bow in tribute to Kyle Busch after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600
Credit: David Jensen/Getty
NASCAR announced Busch’s death on Thursday, May 21, hours after his family said he was hospitalized for a “severe illness.” His cause of death has since been revealed to be pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
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“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.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement continued. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Kyle Busch after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500
Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty
Before his death, the Busch family announced the two-time NASCAR champion was hospitalized and would miss two upcoming races in North Carolina, including the Coca-Cola 600 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
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To honor his legacy on what was supposed to be a major race day for him, Kyle’s wife, Samantha Busch, and their children — son Brexton, 11, and 4-year-old daughter Lennix — made an emotional appearance at the race alongside his parents, Tom and Gaye Busch, and brother, Kurt Busch.
“This was Kyle Busch’s home. Every racetrack was Kyle Busch’s home,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in a tribute speech to the two-time Cup Series champion. “He competed like he had something to prove every single race, when in reality he had already proven everything.”
“What I think we’ll miss the most isn’t the wins,” he continued. “It’s the guy who quietly wanted to help a teammate, give some advice, who was the husband, the father, the guy who quietly did things for others when no one was watching.”
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