NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell paid tribute to Kyle Busch following the racer’s unexpected death on Thursday.
While speaking to reporters at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, O’Donnell discussed Busch’s legacy at length, opening up about his feuds with NASCAR brass and calling the late racer a “badass.”
“This sport is a badass sport,” O’Donnell said, according to ESPN. “Kyle Busch is an American badass.”
Friday marked O’Donnell’s first public comments since Busch’s death Thursday, shortly after it was announced he was hospitalized with a “severe illness.”
He was 41 years old.
“We certainly had our battles,” O’Donnell said. “But I would give a lot of money to have a few more battles.”
O’Donnell also recalled a time when Busch pretended to be seriously injured when NASCAR ordered him to the infield care center after hitting a wall during a race in Texas.
“He laid flat out on a pit cart, made fun of us,” O’Donnell said. “I was mad at the time, but I look back and that was damn funny, and that was Kyle.”
O’Donnell added that NASCAR is considering adding Busch to the list of Hall of Fame class of 2027 inductees alongside Kevin Harvick, Larry Phillips, and Jeff Burton.
He also declined to answer questions regarding Busch’s potential cause of death, citing respect for the racer’s family.
“We are 24 hours from getting a phone call, and out of respect for the family, and they have asked for privacy, I am not going to address anything,” O’Donnell said. “But transparency is something that we all believe in.
“So in due time, I think that everyone will be comfortable with where things stand.”
Despite speculation about NASCAR canceling the Coca-Cola 600 in wake of Busch’s death, O’Donnell said that the league never seriously considered nixing the race.
He added that Busch would have wanted them to race.
“Kyle Busch would probably be pretty [upset] if we didn’t race,” O’Donnell said. “So we’re going to honor his memory and make sure people know what he was all about.”
