The perfect tribute.
Richard Childress Racing has decided to no longer run the #8 car following the shocking death of two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch yesterday.
The team announced that the car, which will be driven this weekend by RCR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Austin Hill, will be renumbered to the #33, and that the #8 will no longer be used by the team – until Kyle’s son Brexton Busch is old enough to use it if he chooses:
“Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond. Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”
Busch has piloted the #8 car since 2023, when he moved to RCR after 15 years in the #18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won three races during his first season with the team, en route to becoming the winningest driver in NASCAR history.
The legendary driver passed away yesterday, just hours after it was announced that he had been hospitalized for a “severe illness” and would miss this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
While no cause of death has been released, more details have been revealed about what led up to his shocking and sudden passing.
The AP reported yesterday evening that Busch had collapsed while in the racing simulator at Chevrolet’s technical center just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday evening, and dispatch reports show that the 911 call was made for someone experiencing shortness of breath around 5:30 PM.
And earlier today, TMZ has obtained the audio of that 911 call, during which the unnamed caller tells the dispatcher that Busch was still awake and alert and was on the bathroom floor:
“I’ve got an individual that – shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
The caller also tried to keep emergency personnel from drawing too much attention to the scene:
“When you come in, if you could not make it – could you turn the sirens off when you get here?”
Kyle Busch’s medical emergency has been partially revealed by 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports, with a caller saying the NASCAR superstar was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood. 💔 pic.twitter.com/1SnwM58Y7d
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) May 22, 2026
The driver of the #8 car for Richard Childress Racing had previously been battling a severe sinus infection that required medical attention following a race at Watkins Glen two weeks ago.
During that race, Busch asked his team to have a doctor meet him at his bus to give him a shot after the race, and when asked last week whether he was feeling better Busch said that it was something he was still dealing with.
Last week at WGI, @KyleBusch called for medical help after the race. He said it was due to a substantial cough. pic.twitter.com/HN4ROPJr0R
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 16, 2026
Busch had also suffered a severe leg injury earlier this year when a stool he was standing on collapsed while changing the batteries in a smoke detector, barely missing the muscle in his leg and requiring 24 stitches.
Obviously Busch will be heavy on the minds of his fellow competitors this weekend at Charlotte, with many teams already adding decals to their cars in honor of the late champion.
Continuing our success on the foundation he built. pic.twitter.com/LDa444z81J
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) May 22, 2026
Busch’s son, Brexton, is already an accomplished racer himself at the age of 11 years old, and Kyle had frequently mentioned hoping to race against him some day when he finally makes it to NASCAR.
Unfortunately that’s not going to get to happen, but now the car that his dad drove will be ready and waiting for him when that day inevitably comes.
Kudos to Richard Childress on that one.
