NASCAR legend Bubba Wallace has made a heartbreaking tribute to his late colleague and friend Kyle Busch at the Coca-Cola 600.
Busch, 41, was due to race at the event this weekend before his sudden death on Thursday when severe pneumonia developed into sepsis.
The racer had been found unresponsive in a simulator and coughing up blood in the days before he was hospitalized.
It was a sombre sight at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on Saturday as Busch’s car was unloaded in silence in the rainy paddock as rival teams watched on.
RCR Racing removed the blue, white, and red Chevrolet from the truck with the new No. 33 sticker after Busch’s No. 8 has been shelved in his honor and will only be used for his 11-year-old son Brexton.
A No. 8 decal has been added to the door as a tribute while a black-and-white image of Busch along with the dates 1985-2026 was emblazoned on screens at the track.
Wallace was seen standing at the side in tears and being comforted by a teammate as the vehicle was unloaded.
While the 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session was cancelled due to weather conditions, a heartbroken Wallace went on track to pay tribute to his friend, mentor, and rival.
The grief-stricken driver walked over the circuit and knelt down over Busch’s No.8 which is painted on the infield at turn one of the speedway, in a video shared by NASCAR analyst Devin Kupka.
On Instagram, he shared a series of pictures of himself and Busch saying, “My eyes hurt from all the crying, my heart hurts from the pain.”
“Kyle was a monumental factor in who Bubba Wallace is today. I sit here and look at all things around me and all the things I’ve been able to accomplish..Kyle played a role in every aspect.
“That’s what hurts the most. An icon and a legend that I looked up to…is no longer with us.”
Busch is survived by his wife Samantha, racer son Brexton, 11, daughter Lennix, 4, and his brother Kurt, who is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, in a big weekend for Motorsport, tributes are also being made at the Indianapolis 500.
Busch always wanted to be part of that historic race but the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion never made it.
In his honor, former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean will be paying tribute with his team Dale Coyne Racing.
Grosjean will be running his No. 18 car with the same number and font used by Busch when he was with Joe Gibbs Racing where he claimed his first Cup Series championship in 2015.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway will also light the pylon on lap 18 during the race on Sunday.
