The NASCAR garage arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday still trying to process the unimaginable.
And during an emotional media availability on opening day of Coca-Cola 600 weekend, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell delivered one of the most powerful tributes yet to Kyle Busch.
“Kyle Busch has been part of my life for 25 years,” O’Donnell said quietly.
What followed was not a corporate statement or carefully rehearsed speech. It felt personal. Honest. Raw.
“Full of talent. Full of fire. Didn’t give a damn,” O’Donnell said. “Was going to push us. I think we all loved that spirit.”
Steve O’Donnell Says Fans Only Saw Part of Kyle Busch
O’Donnell acknowledged the version of Busch most fans came to know over two decades in NASCAR — the unapologetic villain, the fierce competitor, the driver who embraced the boos as much as the victories.
“What most people saw was ‘Rowdy,’” O’Donnell said. “Fierce, competitive, always great for a quote. Always good to egg on the fans. Play that villain.”
“And was a winner. And the iconic bow I think we’re all going to remember as well.”
Busch retires as the winningest driver in NASCAR national-series history, a career achievement O’Donnell said leaves no debate about Busch’s place in racing history.
“He’s won more National Series races than anyone in our history,” O’Donnell said. “No doubt first-ballot Hall of Fame, for sure.”
But throughout Friday’s emotional session, O’Donnell repeatedly returned to one point: the public only saw part of who Busch really was.
“Everything you saw on the track was one thing,” he said. “But there was so much more to Kyle Busch.”
Steve O’Donnell Shares Story About Kyle Busch Helping Daniel Suarez
One of the most emotional moments came when O’Donnell shared an untold story involving Daniel Suarez.
According to O’Donnell, Busch quietly mentored Suarez when the young driver first arrived from Mexico and was trying to find his footing in NASCAR while learning English and adapting to stock car racing in the United States.
“Daniel Suarez comes over from Mexico, learning English, learning how to race at the national series level, struggling,” O’Donnell said.
“Received a call from Kyle Busch every week. Never talked about it. Just, ‘How do I make you better? How do I keep things going?’”
“He gave people a chance.”
O’Donnell also pointed to Busch and wife Samantha Busch launching the Bundle of Joy Foundation after facing infertility struggles themselves.
“He started the Bundle of Joy Foundation with Samantha because he knew how difficult it was to start a family,” O’Donnell said.
Steve O’Donnell Reveals Final Text From Kyle Busch
Then came the moment that visibly shifted the room.
O’Donnell revealed one of the final text conversations he shared with Busch earlier this week — a message that somehow captured Busch’s humor, competitiveness, and obsession with racing all at once.
“Text from Kyle on Tuesday as only Kyle could do and I keep looking at it,” O’Donnell said.
According to O’Donnell, Busch jokingly floated the idea of NASCAR creating an over-40 exemption that would allow veteran drivers to compete full-time again in the Truck Series.
“He said, ‘Hey man, what do you think about an over-40 rule to be able to compete in all the Truck Series races next year?’”
O’Donnell laughed softly before recalling his response.
“And I said, ‘You know we put that rule in place because you were winning too much.’”
But what hit hardest was what happened next.
“When we had a meeting on Wednesday internally, we said, ‘Damn, that’s actually good. We need Kyle in the Truck Series.’”
“That was Kyle,” O’Donnell said. “Always thinking about the sport and going forward.”
NASCAR Mourns One of Its Biggest Stars
Throughout the press conference, O’Donnell repeatedly described NASCAR as a family — a comparison that suddenly carried much heavier meaning.
“My best description of NASCAR is like a family reunion every weekend,” he said. “From time to time families don’t get along. But at the end of the day everyone knows they’re family.”
O’Donnell also made sure to mention Busch’s family directly, saying the sport watched Busch evolve over the years from young superstar into husband and father.
“The sport and all of us grew up and watched Kyle be a racer and we watched him become a husband and a father,” O’Donnell said. “We all did that as family.”
“And Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix are part of the NASCAR family and they always will be.”
As the NASCAR world tries to navigate its first race weekend without one of its biggest stars, O’Donnell closed with a line that seemed to capture the feeling throughout Charlotte on Friday.
“This sport was truly lucky to have him.”
Steve O’Donnell Reveals Emotional Final Conversation With Kyle Busch