Kyle Busch has been removed from NASCAR’s 2026 Cup Series point standings after his death at 41. Richard Childress Racing said Austin Hill will replace him in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and again this Sunday at Nashville, while NASCAR adjusted the standing
When the Coca-Cola 600 rolled around at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the change was visible before the race even started: Austin Hill was behind the wheel in Kyle Busch’s place, with Busch’s car renumbered to No. 33 after the 41-year-old’s sudden death.
Richard Childress Racing announced that Hill will replace Kyle Busch in the Coca-Cola 600. Busch will no longer appear in NASCAR’s Cup Series point standings for the 2026 season. a decision NASCAR made after discussing how it would reflect “empathetic of the impact to those who would see his name in the standings” with RCR.
The family said Busch died last Thursday due to complications from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. In his final official Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on May 10, he finished 24th in points following that event. A week later at Dover, he placed 17th in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet, though All-Star races do not count toward season point totals.
After Busch’s death, his replacement rides became a race-by-race effort. Hill drove at Charlotte and finished 27th. This Sunday at Nashville, he will also fill the seat of the No. 33.
In a separate, same-week ripple, Rajah Caruth will drive the Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet truck this weekend at Nashville. The truck seat is filling in for Busch, who won his final truck race at Dover on May 15.
Busch’s record explains why his name has been more than just a driver number for NASCAR fans. He is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver across its top three national touring series with 234 combined victories. In the Cup Series, he has 63 wins, ranking ninth all-time. He also has 102 wins in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series—more than any driver—and 69 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series. which is also the most by any driver.
Between triumph and continuity, his 2026 standings removal creates an unusual kind of absence. Busch previously captured a pair of Cup Series championships with Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2022—driving the No. 18 Toyota in 2015 and 2019, often with M&M’s sponsorship across his hood. He also holds a rare streak: the only driver to win at least one Cup Series race in 19 consecutive seasons. from 2005 through 2023.
He also delivered a benchmark that still stands in NASCAR history—winning each of the three races in the same weekend: the trucks, the O’Reilly Series and the Cup Series. He did it twice, in 2010 and 2017, at Bristol.
The sequence now changes in the standings, not on the track. Busch’s absence from the 2026 Cup point totals and the switch to Hill’s No. 33 at Charlotte and Nashville show how quickly NASCAR, teams, and drivers have had to adapt—while still carrying Busch’s legacy through every replacement lap.
Kyle Busch NASCAR 2026 Cup Series standings Austin Hill Richard Childress Racing Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Watkins Glen Dover Rajah Caruth Spire Motorsports pneumonia sepsis
So they took his name out of the standings… but he already raced, right? That seems messed up like they’re just erasing it.
Wait, Austin Hill just hops in Busch’s car and it’s all good? I mean RIP to Kyle but the points thing seems like it won’t really make sense for anyone.
It’s probably about respect or whatever but I don’t know why NASCAR couldn’t keep the points and just add a note? Like “Kyle died” like on the board. Feels weird to me.
Rajah Caruth truck this weekend too… so NASCAR is basically swapping drivers left and right? I saw something about renumbering to No. 33 and I’m confused if that counts or not, because Charlotte already happened in my head lol.