A small gesture from NASCAR driver Kyle Larson's son broke fans' hearts during Sunday's tribute to the late Kyle Busch. Ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR honored Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, who suddenly passed away on Thursday after suffering from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
Busch, who was 41, left behind his wife Samantha and their two children, son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, four, who attended Sunday's remembrance ceremony for the late NASCAR icon. Brexton bravely stood by his mother's side during the somber moment of silence at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, supporting her as she broke down into tears.
After embracing his mom and younger sister, the 11-year-old aspiring driver received a touching show of support of his own. Owen Larson, the eldest son of NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, was captured consoling his friend in a sweet trackside moment. Owen, also 11, was seen shyly approaching Brexton as the wives of other drivers greeted and hugged Samantha. He then sweetly wrapped his arm around Brexton, who acknowledged the heartwarming gesture with a small pat on the back.
The moment caught the attention of NASCAR fans, with many claiming that it reduced them to tears on social media. 'Yes I saw that too. Brought tears,' one social media user claimed, replying to a clip of the moment on X. 'I didn't cry till then,' another said, while a third appeared to have long been in tears, writing, 'not me crying again, I'm bawling.'
'Sweet young man. That meant a lot to Brexton I'm sure,' a fourth claimed. 'Damn break my heart wide open, my heart physically hurts for Samantha and those babies,' another emotional fan shared. 'Good kid. Raised correctly,' one insisted, as another added: 'It was so sweet and genuine. He wanted his friend to know he loved him.'
Brexton had put on a brave face as he stood arm-in-arm with his mom, who broke down into tears during the tribute to her late husband. As three pipers played a somber rendition of Amazing Grace, Samantha was handed her young daughter Lennix by a member of the mourners gathered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Samantha cradled the youngster, who sported black-and-white checkered bows in her hair in a touching nod to her father's legacy. She then huddled her two children together as her body was wracked with sobs.
Brexton sported a black cap with his father's No. 8 embroidered on the front - a number that has now been temporarily retired until the 11-year-old follows in his father's footsteps and one day races in NASCAR. Both he and his mother wore black t-shirts with a logo emblazoned on the front that read: 'Battle of the Busches.' The Battle of the Busches was a series of dirt track races between Kyle and his racing-phenom son, which began in March of last year.
Busch's parents, Tom and Gaye, and his brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, also attended the race as NASCAR honored the late driver with a moment of silence. Kurt, a NASCAR champion himself, laid a bouquet of white roses on a No. 8, which had been stenciled onto the infield grass in black paint in remembrance of his younger brother.
The tributes to Busch continued following the emotionally-charged tribute as the US Army Golden Knights carried Busch's flag prior during pre-race festivities. Each of the 39 cars in field also carried Busch's decal, while on the pace lap, they formed the missing man formation. The speedway's public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.
Busch reportedly became unresponsive while using a racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina on Wednesday and was even seen coughing up blood, according to a 911 call released by TMZ. He was hospitalized on Thursday before NASCAR announced his passing later that evening in a statement shared on behalf of his family.
Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has since emerged that Busch was struggling with something in his final weeks. He radioed for medical assistance from his car in the middle of one of his final NASCAR races on May 10 in upstate New York, just days before his death.
An eerie clip emerged from May 16 of Busch being asked if he had recovered from what he thought was simply a nasty cough. 'I had a pretty - you can kind of still hear it, I'm still not great,' Busch said, waving his hand to his face as he spoke to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. 'But er, the cough was pretty substantial.'
In a clip from Busch's May 10 race, he was asking for a doctor to urgently meet him to give him 'a shot'. With 38 laps to go in the NASCAR Cup Series game, Busch told his team over the radio: 'Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He's the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please.' He was then asked whether he needed the doctor at his car or his bus, to which he replied: 'Uh, bus. I'm going to need a shot.'
According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course. Busch went on to claim his record fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trophy that day, despite clearly still struggling with illness.
Following his death, which came just six days after the victory, a heartbreaking clip of Busch's post-race interview resurfaced. After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win with the triumph at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career before he stops racing. 'You take whatever you can get, man,' Busch said. 'You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all - trust me.'
