Daniel Suarez shared a heartfelt tribute to Kyle Busch after the Coca-Cola 600, reflecting on the late NASCAR star’s impact both on and off the track. Suarez said Busch helped him when he needed it most during his early career at Kyle Busch Motorsports, describing that support as coming from “a legend” with immense experience. He said he would be “forever grateful” for Busch’s guidance and generosity.
Suarez and Busch shared more than a professional connection. Suarez previously drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports, alongside several other current and former NASCAR names, including Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst, Todd Gilliland, Greg Biffle, and Kimi Raikkonen. Suarez said Busch was not family by blood, but he treated him like someone worth helping and supporting at a crucial point in his career.
The tribute also highlighted Busch’s off-track personality. While Busch was known for a fiery image and many on-track rivalries, Suarez said he always got along well with him. He recalled how Busch and his wife Samantha once reached out to him after Busch ran into legal trouble in Cancun, showing the closeness of their relationship. Suarez also mentioned that after a NASCAR race in Mexico City, the two celebrated together, underscoring a friendship that extended beyond racing.
The article referred to a 2023 incident in which Busch was detained at Cancun Airport after a handgun was found in his bag. Busch later said the weapon had been mistakenly left in his luggage, that he cooperated with authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned home. The episode had drawn attention at the time, but Suarez’s comments shifted the focus back to Busch’s personal character and the support he offered to others.
Suarez also tried to show fans another side of Busch, describing him as a devoted family man. He said Busch’s eyes would light up whenever people talked about his son, Brexton, suggesting that the racer’s identity was defined not only by competition and controversy, but also by his role as a father and husband.
The piece also reviewed the history of Kyle Busch Motorsports. Founded in 2010, the team competed mainly in the NASCAR Truck Series and also made appearances in the O’Reilly Series, ARCA, and ARCA East and West. Over its run, KBM made 322 Truck Series starts across 418 total entries in different divisions. The team won Truck Series championships in 2015 and 2017 with Erik Jones and Christopher Bell, and Sammy Smith captured the 2022 ARCA title under the organization.
According to the article, KBM later shut down at the end of the 2023 season, with its assets purchased by Spire Motorsports. The KBM name still exists in a reduced form as a dirt racing team for Busch and his son Brexton, but the future of the organization is now unclear following Busch’s death.
