Brexton Busch honors late father Kyle after winning first race since his death

Brexton Busch. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Brexton Busch honors late father Kyle after winning first race since his death

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jul 19, 2026 11:29 AM ET

On Saturday, Brexton Busch won his first race since the passing of his father, NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, who died on May 21 after pneumonia progressed into sepsis.

The 11-year-old won at Port City Raceway in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a micro sprint car.

"My first win since my dad passed," Brexton Busch wrote in a post on social media. "I don’t like to talk about it much, but the last two months have been really tough. I’m missing my crew chief, my driver coach, my dad, the guy who I looked up to more anyone. I know he would be proud the way I ran the top (much better than him lol) to win my first Micro A-Main at Port City. We love and miss you so much dad."

Brexton Busch fittingly celebrated with his father's iconic bow in victory lane.

My first win since my dad passed. I don’t like to talk about it much, but the last two months have been really tough. I’m missing my crew chief, my driver coach, my dad, the guy who I looked up to more anyone. I know he would be proud the way I ran the top (much better than him… pic.twitter.com/L5za7M563G
— Brexton Busch (@brextonbusch) July 18, 2026

Brexton Busch wins first race since father's death

"First win since losing Kyle. I’ve never felt so proud and so heartbroken at the same time," Samantha Busch, Kyle's wife, wrote in an Instagram post. "Brexton continues to amaze me with his determination, his resilience, the way he keeps showing up to do what he loves even while carrying so much at such a young age.

"Watching him celebrate all I could think about was Kyle. There was nothing that made him happier than watching Brex race, spending the day tinkering on his car and then being the first one sprinting to Victory Lane with that huge grin on his face...Congratulations, buddy. Dad would’ve been so, so proud."

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A post shared by Samantha Busch (@samanthabusch)

In the wake of Kyle Busch's death, his car owner, Richard Childress, said that the No. 8 that Busch raced at RCR would be reserved for Brexton if he races in NASCAR. Busch's No. 8 was renumbered to the No. 33 after his death.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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