Richard Childress spoke out for the first time following his NASCAR driver Kyle Busch’s shocking death at age 41.
“Kyle will go down in history as one of the greatest race drivers that’s ever been,” Childress, 80, told reporters at the Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, June 6, per the Associated Press. “His legacy is that he was a man that a lot of people thought he was tough to deal with, and that he wouldn’t last long. He is a man that loves his sport.”
Busch spent the final three seasons of his career racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). On May 20, Busch became unresponsive in Concord, North Carolina, while preparing for that weekend’s competition and was hospitalized.
NASCAR confirmed hours later on May 21 that the driver had died at age 41. (A death certificate obtained by Us Weekly confirmed that Busch suffered a “chain of events” in his final days, as bacterial pneumonia progressed into sepsis and intravascular coagulation, or small clots. By the time Busch died, he’d developed hemorrhagic shock due to blood loss.)
At Saturday’s press conference, Childress likened Busch’s death to that of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was killed at age 49 in a February 2001 crash. (Earnhardt spent 18 seasons on the RCR team.)
“You lose two of the greatest drivers that’s ever driven a car in NASCAR and to have to go through it again,” Childress told the media. “I just feel so bad for the family and the employees and everybody. But yeah, I mean, I haven’t slept very good lately.”
He reflected on his final phone call with Kyle the night before his hospitalization, revealing that he’d planned to offer the driver a contract extension.
Childress also said that he wanted to help Kyle guide the amateur racing career of his 11-year-old son Brexton Busch in hopes of the boy turning pro one day. (Richard Childress Racing announced on May 22 that it will retire Kyle’s No. 8 car unless Brexton chooses to race professionally some day.)
“Talking to Kyle at different times, knowing his plans and what he had in the future for Brexton and his family,” Childress said. “The many things that we all could have done together, that was probably the toughest part of this whole thing.”
Earlier this week, Kyle’s wife Samantha Busch — with whom he shared Brexton and daughter Lennix, 4 — paid tribute to her late husband’s legacy in her first statement since his death.
“As a family, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you,” Samantha, 40, wrote via Instagram on Friday, June 5. “The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives. While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.”
She wrote, “The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain. Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”
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