Kurt Busch will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, the 1.5-mile track is one Busch calls home.
Kurt and his younger brother, Kyle, both shared success at their hometrack. Younger brother Kyle won the 2009 Cup Series race at Las Vegas and totaled seven NASCAR national touring series victories at the track.
Older brother Kurt captured a win at his hometrack in the 2020 Cup Series Las Vegas playoff race. Sunday’s race will surely be emotional as it marks the first Las Vegas race since Kyle Busch’s tragic passing last May.
Kurt Busch Serving as Pace Car Driver at Las Vegas
On Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch will lead a full pack of Cup Series cars around his 1.5-mile hometrack. Yet, it will be in a different capacity than what he was used to during his racing career.
It was announced on Saturday that Busch will serve as the honorary pace car driver to begin Sunday’s 267-lap race.
“NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch named Pace Car Driver for the South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 4,” via Hear Our City Media on X.
The South Point 400 at Las Vegas will be the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, marking the halfway point of the 10-race postseason.
After a dominant Kansas win last week, Kyle Larson enters Sunday’s race with a 26-point advantage over Denny Hamlin in the battle for the championship. Sporting a yellow and blue Kyle Busch-inspired paint scheme, Larson seeks his third win in the last four races.
The green flag for the South Point 400 is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. It can be watched on USA Network or listened to on the Performance Racing Network (PRN).
Busch Family Honors Kyle at Las Vegas Bullring
One of the many tributes to hometown legend Kyle Busch was the Kyle Busch Classic on Friday night, which took place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.
The event featured an ARCA Menards Series race, a CARS Tour West race and other races such as Legends and Bandoleros. Brexton Busch, Kyle and Samantha’s 11-year-old, competed in the Legends race and gave the command prior to the start of the event.
Outside the Bullring stands a Kyle Busch memorial rock. The Busch family posed for a picture next to the rock, which Kurt Busch put on social media and penned an emotional caption.
“Thank you race fans for coming out and supporting the Kyle Busch Classic at the bullring. Last night was full of emotions and memories of years past. The future looks bright! 🏁”
Kurt Busch was recently inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026 by his younger brother, Kyle. During his Cup Series career that spanned from 2001-2022, Kurt Busch won 34 Cup races, including the 2017 Daytona 500.
Kurt Busch won the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series title in the first year of the Chase era.
Kurt Busch Set For Honorary Pace Laps at Las Vegas