via @bwilliams18 on X
NASCAR is mourning Kyle Busch, and the sport's tracks are showing it on every surface they can paint, post, or light up.
Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the age of 41. With Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 just three days away, NASCAR tracks across the country moved fast to pay tribute. Charlotte Motor Speedway painted a massive RCR No. 8 with Kyle's signature on the infield grass. Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his hometown track, posted its own tribute on Thursday night. We rounded up every track tribute we have seen so far.
Charlotte Motor Speedway: RCR No. 8 Painted on the Infield Grass
The first tribute that hit our timeline came from Charlotte Motor Speedway, the host venue for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. The Charlotte grounds crew painted the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 logo (Kyle's current number with RCR) along with his iconic signature directly onto the infield grass. The logo is massive, easily readable from the grandstand, and built to read on every overhead broadcast camera angle that will cut to the infield during the 600.
The decision to paint the RCR 8 instead of his more famous Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 lines up with his current team and current car. Busch was driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at the time of his passing, and the painted tribute reflects where he was in the sport right now. The logo will be visible to every fan in the building on Sunday and in every aerial shot of the race broadcast. It is the kind of permanent-feeling on-track branding that turns a memorial weekend into an actual moment.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Honors Kyle Busch: Hometown Track Tribute
Kyle Busch is a Las Vegas native, and his hometown track moved immediately to pay tribute. Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Kyle grew up watching races and where he won two Cup Series races during his career, posted a tribute on Thursday night.
LVMS is the track Kyle's career was built around, the one closest to his family, and the one his fans associate most with his roots. The tribute carries a different weight than the rest because of that proximity. We expect more permanent recognition (a mural, a section, possibly a renamed feature) to follow at the track over the coming months.
NASCAR Drivers and Teams Pay Tribute Across the Circuit
NASCAR journalist Steve Taranto has been documenting the wave of tributes as they come in from across the NASCAR community. Paint schemes, social posts, broadcast moments planned for Sunday. The breadth of the response from drivers, teams, and tracks is reflected in the volume of tributes he has captured.
His coverage is the easiest way to track every new tribute as the weekend continues. We expect more tracks, more drivers, and more teams to add their own moments before Sunday's green flag drops.
What to Watch For at the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday
The Coca-Cola 600 was already going to carry significant tribute weight as the Memorial Day weekend race, with "600 Miles of Remembrance" names on every windshield honoring fallen service members. Sunday at Charlotte will now function as a dual tribute: to the service members the race has honored every year since 2015, and to Kyle Busch.
Expect Sunday to include:
- A moment of silence before the green flag
- The painted RCR No. 8 visible in every overhead infield shot
- Tribute decals, helmet stickers, and pit-box graphics across multiple teams
- A broadcast tribute package from Prime Video and TNT
- Live tribute moments from the Richard Childress Racing pit box
We will be watching every angle of the broadcast and documenting the visual tributes as they happen. For full context on Kyle's career and what he meant to NASCAR, see our Remembering Kyle Busch tribute.
FAQ: NASCAR Tracks Pay Tribute to Kyle Busch
When did Kyle Busch pass away? Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the age of 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness. Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR, and the Busch family confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon, three days before the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Why is there a No. 8 painted on the grass at Charlotte Motor Speedway? Charlotte Motor Speedway painted the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 logo with Kyle Busch's signature onto the infield grass as a tribute ahead of Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Kyle was driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for RCR at the time of his passing. The painted RCR No. 8 will be visible in every overhead infield shot during the broadcast on Sunday.
What was Kyle Busch's car number? Kyle Busch was driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in 2026. He is most famously associated with the No. 18 Toyota he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing for 15 seasons, winning both of his NASCAR Cup Series championships (2015 and 2019) in that car. The painted Charlotte infield tribute uses his current RCR No. 8 to reflect where he was in the sport when he passed.
What tribute is Las Vegas Motor Speedway doing for Kyle Busch? Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch's hometown track, posted a public tribute on social media on Thursday night following his passing. Kyle is a Las Vegas native, won two Cup Series races at LVMS during his career, and grew up at the track. More permanent track recognition (a mural, a section name, or a renamed feature) is expected over the coming months.
Will the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 honor Kyle Busch? Yes. The 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24 will function as a dual tribute: to the fallen U.S. service members honored every year through the "600 Miles of Remembrance" program since 2015, and to Kyle Busch. Expect a moment of silence before the green flag, tribute decals across multiple cars in the field, the painted RCR No. 8 visible in every infield aerial shot, and a broadcast tribute package from Prime Video and TNT.
What other NASCAR tracks are paying tribute to Kyle Busch? Charlotte Motor Speedway has painted the RCR No. 8 on the infield grass and Las Vegas Motor Speedway has posted a hometown tribute. Additional tracks, drivers, and teams have begun adding their own moments, with paint schemes, helmet decals, and social tributes rolling out across the NASCAR community ahead of Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. We will update this post as new track tributes appear.
Where can I read more about Kyle Busch's NASCAR career? Our full Remembering Kyle Busch tribute covers his 63 Cup Series wins, two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2015 and 2019), all-time wins records in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck series, and how he shaped a generation of NASCAR fans. We have also committed to expanding our NASCAR coverage moving forward as part of his legacy.
Rest easy, Rowdy.
