A NASCAR legend revealed a heartbreaking move that the widow of late driver Kyle Busch made after the sport paid tribute to him following his tragic passing.
It was an emotional weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway after Busch passed away at the age of 41 from severe pneumonia that evolved into sepsis.
The sport continued as drivers and fans processed the emotions of such a sudden and horrific fate.
Former driver and broadcaster Kenny Wallace described it as ‘one of the toughest weeks in motor racing history’ as he revealed his thoughts on the tribute the sport gave to Kyle before the race began.
‘For days I wondered what would [wife] Samantha and [son] Brexton and that baby [girl] Lennix be like… and to everybody’s shock and amazement, there they were,’ Wallace noted in a video on his YouTube channel.
‘Poor Samantha and Brexton, the man that he was. At such a young age, Brexton becoming a man. There they were before everybody’s eyes at the Coke 600, right there on the front straightaway.’
A NASCAR legend revealed the heart-breaking move the wife of Kyle Busch pulled after a tribute to the late race car driver concluded at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Samantha and her son, Brexton, were front-and-center for an infield tribute to the late driver
Former driver Kenny Wallace says Kyle’s wife Samantha stayed around the track for the start
The family and every single driver and crew gathered around a spray-painted No. 8 in the infield to hold a moment of silence for Busch before the race began, where Samantha was seen in tears and holding her son.
After the tribute finished, Wallace said that Samantha didn’t exactly leave the track right away.
‘I don’t know, but I read – and I think it was a pretty good source – that after that, she went to the No. 8 (which is now 33) pit box and maybe stayed there just for the start,’ Wallace noted.
‘Man, I’m wore out just talking about that because it’s so heartfelt.’
Busch had appeared to be dealing with an illness in the weeks leading up to his passing. In Watkins Glen two weeks prior to the race in Charlotte, Busch asked over the radio for a doctor after his day had concluded.
His illness was confirmed by a friend, Andrew Murstein, in an interview with the Daily Mail. Murstein says Busch backed out of a ‘sports-themed’ dinner he was hosting at Rao’s in New York City.
‘I invited him and he wanted to come down, but he couldn’t make it,’ Murstein said after calling the news of his death ‘shocking.’
‘I don’t know if he was feeling ill at the time and he didn’t want to tell me. But he wasn’t able to come.’
In the days before his passing, Kyle was dealing with an illness that affected him while racing
Kyle was testing on a simulator when he was taken to the hospital before dying from sepsis
In addition to Samantha and Brexton, Kyle is survived by his daughter, Lennix
Busch is believed to have been testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina when his illness got worse and he eventually needed to be taken to the hospital, according to the Associated Press.
The simulators replicate the motion and G-forces drivers would experience at speed on a track in real life.
Chevrolet’s website describes them as being ‘as close as drivers can get to racing without actually strapping in – tracks are scanned to a very high resolution… along with each bump or unique part of the surface.’
A statement from the Busch family read: ‘The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.’
Before welcoming Brexton in 2015, Kyle and Samantha – who got married in December 2010 – suffered heartbreaking setbacks when trying to have a second child.
The couple battled infertility problems for over a decade, resulting in several miscarriages and failed cycles, which prompted them to launch The Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund.
The nonprofit is dedicated to providing financial assistance to couples struggling with infertility, with over $2million in grants contributing to the births of over 100 babies.
Kyle and Samantha’s second child, Lennix, was welcomed via surrogate in May 2022.
