CONCORD, N.C. — Charlotte Motor Speedway, just outside Charlotte, N.C., will host a celebration of life for Kyle Busch on Friday night, Oct. 9, giving fans and the NASCAR community a chance to remember the two-time Cup Series champion together.
The ceremony is set for 8 p.m. at the start/finish line of the 1.5-mile track, following the Craftsman Truck Series Ecosave 200. The truck race starts at 5 p.m. Admission to the celebration is free, and fans holding tickets for the truck race can stay and move toward the start/finish line when the ceremony begins. The service will also be shown live on television.
Busch died in May at 41 years old. Over his career he won 234 races across the three national series and two Cup Series championships, and he is the winningest driver at the Charlotte track across all three series. His one Cup win there came in the 2018 Coca-Cola 600.
His widow, Samantha Busch, will speak, and his brother Kurt Busch will also take part. Joe Gibbs, who employed Busch in the No. 18 Toyota from 2008 through 2022, is expected to share stories, along with longtime race broadcaster Mike Joy.
Cup Series drivers Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson and Daniel Suárez, who each drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series, are on the speaker list. So are defending champion Kyle Larson, whom Busch nicknamed Tiny Kyle, and Austin Dillon.
Organizers plan to display 10 of Busch’s most iconic race cars and run video tributes and a drone show. Country music artist Cole Swindell will perform after the ceremony ends.
The Charlotte track was also the first to host a NASCAR race weekend after Busch died suddenly in May. Fans planning to attend should arrive early for the truck race if they want to be in place for the 8 p.m. start.