NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell tells Kyle Busch family 'we got you' before start of Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch's widow, Samantha, and the couple's children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech.

Standing beside the family on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O'Donnell looked at the family and said, "Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ”

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

Auto racing's biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to NASCAR racing great Busch from Indianapolis to CMS.

Busch died Thurday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

At the Coca-Cola 600 — a race Busch won in 2018 — NASCAR and CMS honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights planned to carry Busch's flag prior during pre-race festivities following a moment of silence. Each of the 39 cars in field will carry Busch's decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation. And, the speedway's public address system and the television commentators planned to go silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Trucks Series win at CMS by doing one of Busch's traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O'Reilly Auto Parts race.

O'Donnell called Busch “an American badass.”

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the first that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was," Cup Series driver Joey Logano said.

Fans at CMS arrived in droves with shirts to honor Busch that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean's No. 18 car to replicate the font the 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 a record 234 victory 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.