The NASCAR world hasn’t had a single weekend off since Kyle Busch died. Just days after his passing on May 21, the Cup Series returned for the Coca-Cola 600, and the schedule hasn’t paused since. While the sport has continued to honor Busch every race weekend, this marks the first break in the calendar, giving his former team, Richard Childress Racing, a chance to pay tribute to him in a more meaningful way.
RCR, where Busch spent three seasons, shared a heartfelt tribute video highlighting some of Rowdy’s most memorable moments with the team. It begins with Richard Childress introducing him at his 2023 press conference and follows his journey through race wins, behind-the-scenes moments, and the lighter side of his time at RCR.
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Busch embraced his “Rowdy” nickname and the villain persona he carried on the racetrack. But the tribute showed a different side of him, one that meant a great deal to everyone at RCR. It celebrated not just the laughs they shared, but also the meaningful success they enjoyed together during his three-year stint with the team.
“Why not?” Childress hit back at a reporter when asked why he went after Childress as a driver. And it makes sense why he said that.
Busch was a phenom with Joe Gibbs Racing. He spent 15 seasons driving the No. 18 Toyota there, winning 56 races and two Cup Series Championships. He was already a future Hall of Famer before joining forces with Childress, and his parting ways with JGR really shook up the garage.
Busch chose RCR with the goal of adding to his legacy by winning more races and competing for the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
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“I had to find a place where I knew I could go win races immediately. Collecting trophies is still the main reason why I get up every day and go to the racetrack in order to do this every week. I also needed a place where I felt like I could hit reset and I could be welcomed just as I am. I’m glad it’s the 8. I’m excited about that, and I’m ready for that chance to be able to make a new legacy with that number,” he said while joining RCR, as said in the video.
Sadly, things didn’t quite work out that way, despite a promising start. Busch won three races in 2023 but failed to visit Victory Lane again, ending up on a 100+ race winless streak. During that span, he managed just 14 top-five finishes.
Even though things didn’t end the way Busch had hoped at RCR, it doesn’t take away from everything he achieved in NASCAR. By the time he joined the team, he had already established himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
“I’d say for me, how would I want to be remembered? Just for the pure raw tenacity and passion and fire that I had for racing in general. Whether I was racing as a kid growing up, making it to the big time, owning race teams at the top levels of NASCAR, I feel like I did all that I could do to give my passion to this sport and to do it in the best way that I felt,” Busch said, as per the video.
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That passion is exactly what the NASCAR community continues to celebrate. The tributes won’t stop here, either.
On October 9, NASCAR will hold an official public Celebration of Life for Busch at Charlotte Motor Speedway after the Craftsman Truck Series race. Fans, friends, family, and members of the garage will come together once again to honor a driver whose impact on the sport won’t be forgotten.
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