Audrey Larson – Kyle Larson’s 8-year-old daughter Audrey added a signature “Busch Bow” to her own celebration after winning a dirt race in Nebraska—an echo of the routine Kyle Busch performed after each of his 234 NASCAR top-three series victories, now carrying on in the days
When Kyle Larson’s daughter Audrey won on a Wednesday night in Nebraska, she didn’t just celebrate. She stepped in front of her kart, crossed her right arm in front of her, and bowed the way Kyle Busch used to do in victory lane.
Busch died last week at age 41. and his death certificate reportedly laid out the chain of events in his illness that led to his sudden passing. His family said he died from complications from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. In the days after that shock. the “Busch Bow” has become a visible thread of grief and gratitude across NASCAR’s winning celebrations.
The routine started spreading quickly after Busch’s death. Ross Chastain began the trend on Saturday night, bowing from atop his car following his win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He was followed by Layne Riggs and Daniel Suarez, who also bowed after finding the checkered flag.
Audrey’s bow came next. Last year, at age 7, she won her first race at Millbridge Speedway, a dirt track in Salisbury, North Carolina. After her win on Wednesday night. the 8-year-old mirrored Busch’s routine with a gesture that’s now become part of the post-win ritual for drivers who never got the chance to watch Busch in victory lane one more time.
Larson, talking last September, described what it felt like to capture those moments on his phone. “I was the video-taping dad on my phone,” he said. “So maybe if I’d had my phone down and I really was absorbing the moment. I probably would have cried. It was awesome. She’s my only daughter, so she’s got a soft spot in my heart.”.
He added that. while he and Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick take the racing mindset seriously with their kids. Audrey carries a different balance between intensity and play. “We don’t take it quite yet as serious as Kyle (Busch) or Kevin (Harvick) do (with their kids)… Audrey, I would say, (has) more got the competitive mindset. (She) wants to watch video. run on the simulator. go to the go-kart track and practice. go testing at Millbridge. race as much as she can. I have fun with that because she’s more similar to me in that aspect.”.
Those family routines don’t happen in a vacuum. Kids who grow up with their dads racing in NASCAR often form friendships and tight bonds in the driver lot. This past weekend, drivers including Joe Logano and Frankie Muniz shared stories about watching their children play with Busch’s.
Three days after Busch died, another moment of connection played out in the same atmosphere of grief and family. Larson’s son Owen walked up to Busch’s grieving son Brexton on Sunday and put his arm around him.
The bow that started as Busch’s personal signature—he performed it after each of his 234 victories across NASCAR’s top three national series—now feels bigger than a gesture. Busch was NASCAR’s all-time leader in combined wins across the top three national touring series. won two championships in the top-level Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019. and took his final race less than a week before his death. winning in the Truck Series at Dover for the 69th checkered flag of his career.
In the days after the sudden loss, winning still happens on the track. But as more drivers and now kids add the bow in their own way. it’s clear the celebration has become a kind of living memorial—one that keeps Busch’s presence in motion. lap after lap. even when he’s no longer there to perform it.
Kyle Busch Busch Bow Kyle Larson Audrey Larson NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ross Chastain Layne Riggs Daniel Suarez Kevin Harvick Joe Gibbs Racing severe pneumonia sepsis Millbridge Speedway Dover