Retired NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick reflected back on the powerful Kyle Busch Celebration of Life that took place last Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The public memorial service was held to honor the life and legacy of Busch, NASCAR’s winningest overall driver who died suddenly last May.
At the end of the service, Kyle’s 11-year-old son Brexton Busch performed a tribute burnout behind the wheel of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Cup Series car, once driven by his father.
It was that moment and the night all together that Harvick believes was a healing moment for everyone in the sport since the devastating loss on May 21.
Harvick Reflects on Kyle Busch Celebration of Life, Brexton’s Burnout
On a recent episode of “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” the soon-to-be NASCAR Hall of Famer said he is still stunned by the fact Kyle Busch passed away last May.
“I stand back still and I just, I can’t believe it. It’s still hard to wrap your arms around,” Harvick said.
Harvick applauded the Kyle Busch Celebration of Life, allowing everyone to come together and share the memories “Rowdy” months after the tragedy, rather than having to deal with the sudden grief three days after his death at this year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
“Seeing Brexton doing burnouts in the car and Samantha and everybody there in attendance to be able to tell the stories and not have it be the week after Kyle’s death is letting everybody have a little bit of light into who Kyle was and the memories that we have as competitors and people have as team owners and all those things is great for people to hear,” Harvick said.
Harvick Calls Busch Memorial Service ‘A Healing Moment’
Longtime NASCAR play-by-play announcer Mike Joy served as the host of the Kyle Busch Celebration of Life.
Among those who spoke were Kyle’s brother, Kurt, and his widow, Samantha. Former car owner Joe Gibbs and former RCR teammate Austin Dillon also spoke. Other NASCAR Cup Series drivers took the stage, including Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Daniel Suarez, and Noah Gragson.
All of them shared personal stories of Kyle Busch and how they impacted their lives. Harvick said when you are an athlete on TV, fans do not always get a glimpse of who they are away from their respective sport.
On Friday, fans got a chance to see the true Kyle Busch through stories of people who knew him best.
“They don’t always get to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of things that he did, things that he said,” Harvick said.
While the reality of Busch’s death is still difficult to process nearly five months later, Harvick saw Friday’s public memorial service as a way to heal.
“It’s still hard to wrap your arms around but a more healing moment in this situation now in October than it was in May to be able to hear those stories,” Harvick said.