NASCAR returns to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend for the first time since Kyle Busch’s death, and one of the most successful tracks in the late champion’s career will become the centerpiece of a weekend-long tribute.
From special pre-race ceremonies to a throwback paint scheme honoring one of Busch’s most iconic victories, NASCAR officials say fans will see reminders of the two-time Cup Series champion throughout all three days at Nashville.
GettyThe NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway will pay tribute to Kyle Busch this weekend.
Kyle Busch Tributes Throughout Nashville Superspeedway Weekend
Nashville Superspeedway president Matt Greci confirmed the track has assembled tributes across the three-day event, which opens Friday with the Allegiance 200 Truck Series race at 8 p.m. ET, continues Saturday with the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at 7:30 p.m. ET, and closes Sunday with the sixth annual Cracker Barrel 400 Cup Series race at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video, the track’s sixth consecutive tripleheader weekend.
“He was really impactful here,” Greci told FOX 17 Nashville‘s Johnny Maffei. “Five-time race winner here at Nashville Superspeedway, got his first ever ARCA Series win here, and also his 100th O’Reilly Series race here. We’ll see some tributes in pre-race and in the fan zone.”
On the track, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 47 NOS Energy Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports will carry the paint scheme Busch brought to Victory Lane in 22 of his record 102 O’Reilly Series wins. The livery last won at Bristol in 2017, part of Busch’s second all-three-series sweep in a single weekend, a feat no other driver has matched, according to Nick DeGroot of Motorsport.com. Stenhouse and Busch famously came to blows at the 2024 All-Star Race, making the gesture all the more striking.
“For a long time we chased him, the bar has always genuinely been him,” Hyak 47 crew chief Mike Kelley said in a social media post. “It’s been an emotional week, a challenging time in our sport.”
On the infield, a No. 8, Busch’s Richard Childress Racing number, was already in place Friday morning, according to Maffei.
Brad Paisley Delivers Moving Kyle Busch Tribute Performance
Nashville follows a week of tributes that began at Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600, where country star Brad Paisley delivered a solo performance of “When I Get Where I’m Going.”
“I didn’t think I’d have to play this song for this reason today,” Paisley told the crowd, as quoted by American Songwriter. “Love ya Kyle.”
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell also spoke at Charlotte. “He competed like he had something to prove every single race, when in reality, he’d already proven everything,” O’Donnell said. “Kyle Busch is NASCAR. He was one of a kind and there will never be another.”
Busch died May 21 at age 41 after bacterial pneumonia advanced into sepsis. His death certificate detailed a cascade beginning with an infection present for “days to weeks” before triggering hemorrhagic shock. He left behind a NASCAR record 234 wins across all three national series and Cup championships in 2015 and 2019.
The Hall of Fame carries a two-to-three-year waiting period after retirement, but Busch never retired. NASCAR confirmed it is reviewing whether to expedite his induction following public calls from drivers including Brad Keselowski.
“His impact will last forever,” Greci said.
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