At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch’s son Brexton ran in his first race since Kyle’s death and watched Tom Busch take an honorary lap in the No. 51 Legends car Kyle was supposed to drive, alongside a “missing man” pace and a parked field.
When Brexton Busch dropped into the Young Lions division race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. it looked like a return to the track. But the moment Tom Busch got behind the wheel turned it into something else—an emotional tribute paced by a legend. carried out in real time with flags and silence where a lap should have belonged to someone no longer here.
On Monday night at the CookOut Summer Shootout, Brexton placed sixth in the first race he competed in since his father’s death. He ran the Young Lions division. Then, on Tuesday night, it was Tom Busch’s turn to drive.
Tom took the No. 51 Legends car that Kyle Busch was supposed to race in the Masters Division. The procession was choreographed with a “missing man” formation during pace laps. and then the rest of the field parked on pit road. In a moment staged as both ritual and restraint, Tom—who is 72—took an honorary lap alone for his son. Brexton stood in the flagstand. waving the green flag at first and then a double-checkered as his grandfather went around the track. revving down the front stretch.
Legends cars are a stepping stone for drivers who go on to NASCAR. Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all started in that series, and Kyle Busch did too early on. With his son competing in those machines. Busch still dabbled in Legends cars and had planned to race in the Summer Shootout this year.
Kyle Busch died at 41 on May 21. His death certificate revealed complications from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. His sudden passing sent shockwaves through NASCAR, and drivers have kept finding ways to honor him. Denny Hamlin rode around with a special stylized No. 18 flag at Michigan on Sunday during his victory lap after tying Busch—his former teammate at JGR—for ninth all-time in Cup Series wins.
For the Busch family, the tribute on track landed close to the beginning of everything. Tom Busch. now the one carrying Kyle in the ceremonial lap. was a mechanic in Las Vegas who introduced his sons to racing and taught them what he knew. He competed locally in Las Vegas as a short-track driver before tutoring Kyle and Kurt.
In a 2015 interview. Tom Busch described what it was like when the brothers raced on his dime—two cars. no spare parts. “I like it now a lot better than in the old days when I owned both cars,” he said. “They raced each other so hard. Basically, Kyle had my old car, and Kurt had Kurt’s car. There were no spare parts. We didn’t have enough parts to race two cars.” He added: “They were both out there on my dime racing each other. They raced each other hard but clean. but if there was one slip — well. let’s just say we used to have a lot of fun racing.”.
Kyle and Kurt Busch went on to become the winningest brothers in NASCAR history. Together they have combined for 97 Cup Series wins and three championships. Bobby and Donnie Allison are second with 95 victories and one championship. Kurt Busch was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year. adding another milestone to a family that has spent decades turning early track lessons into major-league careers.
After the field parked and the ceremony played out, Brexton kept his place in the flagstand as Tom finished his lap—green first, then the double-checkered. For one night in Legends car racing, the track didn’t just hold a race. It held a missing presence, and then drove past it anyway.
Kyle Busch death certificate Tom Busch honorary lap Brexton Busch Charlotte Motor Speedway CookOut Summer Shootout Legends car NASCAR tribute missing man formation
Those flags hit different…
I didn’t even know Busch’s son was back racing already. Double-checkered + missing man… yeah that’s gotta be brutal. Also why was the whole field parked??
Wait so Tom Busch drove the car Kyle was supposed to drive, right? I saw something on TikTok like this was gonna be a “regular lap” but then it got all quiet. Kinda weird how they stage it like a funeral, but I guess racing is the only time people care.
Idk man, Legends cars are like a feeder thing or whatever, but this is more than racing. Still surprised they let Tom go out alone like that, I thought they’d have Brexton in the 51 too? Missing man formation sounds like military stuff, and the silence part made me think something else happened, like an accident or penalty. But nah it’s just tribute. Either way, condolences.