The dust is yet to settle around the tragic passing of Kyle Busch. While the NASCAR world tries to come to terms with the fact that the winningest driver isn’t around anymore, few have it harder than others. 

At the top of that list would be Richard Childress. Childress will be reeling from Busch’s loss more so because it isn’t the first time a driver has tragically passed away while being an RCR driver. 

First, it was Dale Earnhardt whose name is stitched within the core of RCR DNA. While Earnhardt lost his life in 2001 doing what he loved the most, with Kyle Busch, it was tougher. Busch passed because of pneumonia that led to sepsis.

When Busch was hospitalized in Charlotte, hours before his death, Richard Childress was at the hospital along with his son-in-law, Mike Dillon. Austin Dillon, who was at the RCR campus in North Carolina, was providing updates to the team. 

Asked ahead of the race at Nashville how his grandfather was doing, Dillon said, “I mean, obviously, it’s been very hard for him. But he’s a very resilient person, as everyone knows, and he’s got that cowboy brand that he likes to show everybody. But he’s also got a soft side. And I think it’s been pretty wearing on him.”

Childress was severely moved by the loss of Busch and almost immediately made a gesture most wouldn’t expect. RCR announced that Kyle Busch’s  No. 8 would be retired. The car would run the No. 33, and the 8 would only become available if Brexton Busch decides to take it up. 

Dillon also spoke of a moment he saw of his grandfather’s softer side on the flight to Nashville. 

Dillon said, “We flew up here, and my daughter jumped in his lap, and I think that was just nice to see them hanging out together, and she’s never done that before, so kids just have this weird way of knowing. And you could tell they had a good time up there.”

Dillion said Childress spent the flight sketching with Sharpies with his great-granddaughter. 

Dillon on coming to terms with Busch’s loss

While he wasn’t in Charlotte, Austin Dillon was constantly relaying messages of Busch’s health updates to the RCR employees. In an emotional atmosphere, Dillon did his best to boost the morale and perspective of the entire RCR team. 

When asked how he came to terms with Busch’s passing, he said, “I got home, I told Whitney, look, I’ve got to write him a letter. Most of you probably have read what I wrote. And that was the biggest reason I feel like I could go forward, because it was from the heart, and that’s how I felt about Kyle. 

While Dillon wrote an extremely emotional letter to eloquently pen his words, he’s holding on to how Busch would want RCR to go ahead.

He said, “It’s going to hurt for a long time, but I know the character he was. He’d want us to go kick b***.”

While the dust settles, it will take Dillon, Childress, and the entire RCR team a long time to come to terms with calling Busch’s car the No. 33 instead of the 8.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason