INDIANAPOLIS — The tributes for Kyle Busch started before racing’s biggest day of the year officially began.
At Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.
Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on Lap 18, race officials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.
Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had more wins (234) than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.” The father of two died Thursday at age 41 from what his family said was severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said Friday after returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”
As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.
“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said Friday. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about - I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”
In Concord, North Carolina, NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch found himself in bed scrolling through social media on his phone, growing more depressed with each post he read about Busch.
For the first time in his life, Zilisch had a hard time getting himself motivated to go to the racetrack.
On Sunday night, 39 Cup Series drivers were scheduled to return to the track for the Coca-Cola 600, just three days after the death of Busch, who had more wins (234) than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series.
Severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis and resulted in rapid and overwhelming complications that led to Busch’s death, according to a statement released Saturday by his family.
“It just doesn’t feel like a real race weekend,” Zilisch said. “Like the entire vibe in the garage, it’s eerie here. It’s gloomy. It’s just, it’s gonna be tough come Sunday for sure. There’s gonna be a lot of emotion. It’s gonna be sad.”
Former Busch rival Joey Logano said there is simply nothing normal about this weekend.
“It’s definitely a very different vibe. I never really felt anything like this before at the racetrack,” Logano said. “… You just kind of see less smiles and everybody is sad. It’s an emotion that we’re all feeling — as raw as it can be — and we’re all trying to handle it in our own way. There are some pretty heavy emotions on our hearts.”
Added driver Zane Smith: “This doesn’t seem real. … He was Superman.”
Defending race champion Ross Chastain said he knows only one way to deal with Busch’s death.
“Go race,” said Chastain, who celebrated the come-from-behind 2025 win by slamming watermelons on the track from the roof of his car, his signature move.
“I know with Kyle, that’s what he would want to do. So, no question in my mind about coming in and going to work and going to race,” Chastain added. “It’s what we do.”
Despite the overwhelming sense of sadness at the track, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell never considered postponing the race.
“Kyle Busch would probably be pretty (ticked) off if we didn’t race, so we’re going to honor his memory,” O’Donnell said.
Normally, Charlotte Motor Speedway goes above and beyond to honor the military on Memorial Day weekend, with several tributes to fallen soldiers, includings listing their names on the windshields.
But this weekend also will be about paying tribute to Busch.
So racing they will go, which Zilisch said may not be a bad thing.
“I don’t really wanna go to the track,” Zilisch said. “But at the same time, though, this place is home. And I feel like it’s easier to accept it here than it is laying in my bed and just scrolling on (social media) and continuing to see posts about it.”
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