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Flags fly at half staff at EchoPark Speedway to honor Kyle Busch
EchoPark Speedway honored NASCAR icon Kyle Busch Friday.
The flag flew at half staff at the main entrance where photos of Busch flashed on a big screen.
Metro Atlanta race car drivers like Doug Stevens shared memories of racing Busch on the track.
“Kyle’s nickname was Rowdy. He was a hard racer, a great racer, very talented,” said Stevens. “He was very competitive.”
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Stevens just raced against Busch in February of this year.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Stevens.
Friday, a 911 call shed light on the medical emergency that led up to Busch’s death.
The caller is heard telling the dispatcher that Busch was in distress. The man said Busch was short of breath, very hot and his cough was producing some blood. Busch died in the hospital the next day.
“To see a guy that’s in that good of shape, the athlete he is, to do what he did week-in-week-out, you know, how does something like that happen?” said Stevens.
Before collapsing, Busch was testing in a racing simulator. Just 11 days earlier, Busch radioed his crew during a race asking for a doctors. According to the TV broadcast, the intense G-forces may have exacerbated a sinus cold.
“To see him win a truck race last Friday, be able to compete like he did last Sunday, it’s unbelievable for this to happen,” said Stevens.
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Busch won 14 races on the EchoPark Speedway in Henry County. General Manager Brandon Hutchison reflected on that Friday.
“Our fans loved Kyle Busch. They loved Samantha Busch. They loved Lennix and Brexton Busch,” said Hutchison.
Busch’s team, Richard Childress Racing, announced it will hold the No. 8 car. It is reserving it for Busch’s son when he is ready to start his NASCAR career.
“His son, Brexton, is currently 11 years old, racing in the Legends division,” said Stevens. “Kyle was doing it right with him. He’s very talented.”
Busch and his wife struggled with infertility for more than a decade. They created The Bundle of Joy Fund that helped families pay for the IVF process.
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