Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and NASCAR drivers remember Kyle Busch

CONCORD, NC — The emotions are different this year around the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Following the shocking death of 41-year-old driver Kyle Busch, it has turned into a gloomy weekend of mourning.

Busch died on Thursday, May 21 after being hospitalized with a severe illness. His family said in a statement that Busch died due to complications from pneumonia, which progressed into sepsis.

While speaking with reporters in a bullpen area on Saturday, many drivers showed their admiration of Busch with their apparel. Daniel Suarez wore a t-shirt of Busch’s former Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. Ryan Blaney sported a hat with Busch’s name on it, while Chase Elliott had a T-shirt for Busch’s son, Brexton.

The Cup Series managed to get some practice laps in on Saturday between rain showers. On the broadcast from Amazon Prime, one of Busch’s former rivals — Dale Earnhardt Jr. — spoke about his impact.

“It’s hard to believe. You see the picture of him that’s been up on the back straightaway all weekend. Your mind just can’t comprehend that this is really what is going on,” Earnhardt said. “It’s just been very somber, very sad, watching the garage process this, the industry, the fans. It’s also been incredible to see the scope of his reach and the people that he had an affect on. The drivers that have talked about him, those are some incredible things to hear that he did so much good for so many people and affected so many people’s lives.”

Busch and Earnhardt had a few clashes during their racing careers, most famously in Richmond in 2008 when Busch turned Earnhardt and wrecked him.

Earnhardt said in a post on X after Busch’s death that their relationship had thawed in recent years and there were plans for Busch to drive a late model car for Earnhardt’s team at North Wilkesboro later this year.

“Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. No one can deny that,” Earnhardt wrote. “But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family. I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”

Here’s what other drivers said about Busch, his death and his legacy on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

Tyler Reddick

“I remember growing up watching him. Wherever the bar was, Kyle was constantly raising it, whether it was the trucks, O'Reilly or Cup… Just every aspect of racing, he was on top of it. A true competitor, was always searching for the next thing, the next advantage. My battles with him on the racetrack, I learned an immense amount… I'm just heartbroken… Just all in all, an incredible human.”

Ryan Blaney

“It’s going to be different, you know? Just not seeing No. 8 out there… It's going to take a while for everybody to get used to not seeing the No. 8 out there and competing with Kyle every single week. It’s going to be tough for everybody… He was a ball-buster. His sense of humor was different, but he always had a good heart about it… I always respected what he did at (Kyle Busch Motorsports). He was definitely not only a heck of a competitor on the track, he was a great human being that gave a lot of people their dream jobs and their shot.”

Daniel Suarez

“Most people knew Kyle as the villain, right? As that guy that fans either love him or hate him, but he had a huge heart, and he was one of those people that was always willing to give you a hand… He didn't know who I was, he didn't know anything about me, and he took the time to always answer the phone and helped me literally for the entire year of 2015. It's very meaningful, because, like I said, I didn't have anyone to ask for help… Thursday morning, I sent him a text, because I knew that he was in the hospital, and I was wishing him to be good.”

Denny Hamlin

“Some people are just more skilled than others, and he was just far more skilled than 99.9% of the people that did it. And I don't know how he did some of the stuff that he did behind the wheel. He was exceptional in what he did… I don't know if arrogance is the right way (to say it), but he earned it, he backed it up, it was well earned, and that's what I think made him so good. That level of confidence is what makes the greats of sports better than everyone else. He had the swagger, and he had it when he was a rookie and he had it at all times… As teammates, that's what I saw out of Kyle, just the ability to reach a level that is hard for me to comprehend or be able to replicate.”

Joey Logano

“Obviously, he had a ridiculous amount of God-given talent. We knew that from when he first started, right? He had a ridiculous amount of grit, which is probably what made him one of the greatest. He was fiery. He had the will to win… He's very intelligent. He's very smart about the racecars… I think what made him great was just his determination… When you think ‘racecar driver’ and what that person should be like or would be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the first that comes to your mind… He was quite the highlight reel on so many levels.”

Brad Keselowski

“Selfishly, I was hopeful for a long time that our racing careers would continue on a journey that saw us in the Hall of Fame and doing those types of things together... With respect to our relationship, there was a small thaw over the last year or two... I think it was on that path. I don't have any great stories to tell, but it's sad to not see that through… It's very clear that Kyle is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and I don't know why that needs to wait... Kyle's loss is the whole industry's loss."