NASCAR: Kyle Busch Celebration of Life Date is Set

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR set the date for a celebration of life ceremony for two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. 

NASCAR will hold the ceremony Friday, Oct. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will follow the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race there that day and be free to attend. More details are still to come. 

Busch died unexpectedly May 21 at the age of 41. He died from complications of sepsis that resulted from pneumonia. 

Busch left behind his wife, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix, as well as his brother Kurt and their parents, Gaye and Tom.

A racer himself, Tom Busch passed his lifelong passion to Kurt and Kyle Busch on the bullrings in the Las Vegas. The brothers cut their teeth and grew into stars of their own, with Kurt paving the way and warning others of Kyle's imminent arrival. 

Kyle Busch was a 63-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and a champion in the series in 2015 and 2019. In other NASCAR national series, he won a total of 234 races and was the 2009 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion. In addition to winning 102 NOAPS races, he also won 69 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races -- as recently as days before his untimely death. 

After Busch died, Richard Childress Racing named Austin Hill as his interim replacement. RCR also renumbered the No. 8 to the No. 33, reserving the No. 8 for Brexton Busch, should he make it to NASCAR national series competition and wish to have the number -- no matter the team. 

Hill is reportedly the favorite to take over the No. 33 car in 2027 and beyond. Other names in the mix include Noah Gragson. However, no one has been officially named to the car yet for the future beyond 2026. 

Busch's public memorial service will come around five months after his death and a private service held in the Charlotte metropolitan area. NASCAR also remembered Busch during the pre-race ceremony for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, just three days after his death.

October will be the first time NASCAR has  been "home" for a race since then, marking the right time to bring together the industry and its fans for a ceremony to remember one of the sport's greatest and most irreplaceable drivers in its history.

Busch was a winner at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, claiming the Coca-Cola 600 in 2018 and crossing off every track on the schedule at the time from his wins hit list.