Brexton Busch Drives No. 8 NASCAR Car in Tribute to Father

An emotional tribute to Kyle Busch took a personal turn at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday evening, October 9, when his 11-year-old son, Brexton Busch, drove the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Cup Series car associated with his father. The exhibition followed a Celebration of Life honoring the driver, who died at 41 on May 21.

Brexton drove the full-sized car down the frontstretch and performed burnouts for spectators, according to Sports Yahoo. The vehicle was the Lucas Oil No. 8 car that Kyle Busch drove to his first victory with Richard Childress Racing in 2023.

The tribute continued when Brexton's four-year-old sister, Lennix, handed him a checkered flag. He then climbed onto the car and saluted the crowd with the signature bow associated with his father, while a drone show illuminated the night sky in Kyle Busch's honor.

The driving appearance followed preparations at the Richard Childress Racing shop several weeks earlier. Photographs showed Brexton sitting inside a Cup Series car and being fitted for the exhibition, according to Sports Yahoo.

Samantha Busch introduced the tribute after delivering a 10-minute speech during the memorial ceremony. She struggled to hold back tears as she announced that her son would honor his father with a special victory lap.

The Celebration of Life also included speeches by Joe Gibbs, Austin Dillon, and Samantha Busch. Questions-and-answers sessions featured Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Noah Gragson, and Christopher Bell.

The memorial brought the racing community together to recognize Kyle Busch's career and legacy. His son took center stage during the closing tribute, driving a car closely associated with his father's time at Richard Childress Racing.

Kyle Busch won 234 races across NASCAR's three national divisions, the highest total by any driver in history, according to Sports Yahoo. He died on May 21, just days after securing his final victory in a NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover.