‘Love you, brother.’ Kyle Busch teammate mourns friend in emotional tribute
Fans and teammates of NASCAR star Kyle Busch are mourning his death, which shocked the sports world Thursday.
Busch died Thursday at age 41 after his family reported he had a severe illness. One of the heartbroken is his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon, the grandson of Childress, a 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee. Dillon took to social media to share his condolences in a Friday post titled “Dear, KB.”
“I love you, brother,” Dillon wrote. “Myself and all of the RCR employees will keep fighting and striving for more victories in your memory.”
Dillon wrote that he grew up watching NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, whom he called a “larger-than-life” figure — a superhero in his house.
“Growing up around my grandfather and watching him hold Dale in such high regard as a driver, friend and competitor, I never thought anyone else could compare,” Dillon wrote. “It was plain and simple. There was Dale, and then there was everyone else.”
He continued by writing about Busch showing up — when Busch was on another team at the time.
“...and we all knew that when he showed up, we were fighting for second place,” Dillon added. He also said his family was never Busch’s biggest fan — “an enemy at the time” who was hard to beat.
“I could never really show my fandom, but secretly I was a fan,” Dillon said.
Remembering Kyle Busch’s ‘intensity’ around every lap
Dillon praised Busch as a competitor in the Truck and Cup Series.
Busch compiled 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series. His 63 Cup wins were the most among active drivers before he died, according to NASCAR.
“His intensity every lap and willingness to make any move inspired a generation of racecar drivers,” Dillon added.
Dillon said Busch asked him to join his own racing team — which, he admitted, did not go over well with his grandfather. Dillon said he was blown away by the offer because of the mutual respect between them.
They competed against each other over the years at the Cup level, where Busch won multiple championships.
During his career, Busch was a member of several teams, including Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. His last stop was with Richard Childress Racing, where he continued to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series.
When Busch became available in 2023, it was a no-brainer that Richard Childress Racing had to get him on the team, which Dillon said made his grandfather excited.
“I started hearing things like, ‘He’s the only guy I’ve ever seen drive like Dale,’ ” Dillon said. “‘He takes no prisoners.’ That made me happy, knowing my grandpa had a driver that got him fired up the way Dale did.”
Dillon said Busch’s mindset and mentality rubbed off on people around him because he brought a standard of excellence, while praising his contributions to the team.
“I can’t thank you enough, KB,” Dillon wrote. “You are the ultimate racer and my favorite teammate and driver of all time. I always felt like I had your back and you had mine.”
