When Daniel Suarez exited his car Sunday night, fresh off winning the Coca-Cola 600, he donned a black hat with the late Kyle Busch’s No. 8 number.
Having previously raced for Kyle Busch Motorsports, winning this race just three days after the former NASCAR star’s shocking death at 41 meant that much more for the 34-year-old.
“This one really means a lot. … It’s been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special, man,” Suarez told Amazon Prime as he teared up Sunday. “I was doing this for Kyle. For Kyle, for (his wife) Samantha, for (his children) Brexton, for Lennix, and for all of his family.
“Every win is special. But definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This one is for him. If it wasn’t for Kyle, I wasn’t gonna be an Xfinity champion, I wasn’t gonna have my shot in the Cup Series and to be able to win this race for him is unbelievable.”
Suarez and Busch developed a friendship over the last decade, with the two even competing against one another.
The Mexico native said the two never had any issues between them, calling their relationship “amazing.”
Suarez further explained that Busch’s influence helped him progress during his career, saying he’s forever grateful that he “gave me a hand when I needed it the most.”
He set out this weekend to make sure people learned more about Busch’s legacy, and won the race after NASCAR called it 27 laps early due to weather.
“A lot of people didn’t know who he was as a person. Many people, fans, they knew him as a racing driver. “But the person that is behind the fire suit, behind that helmet, that’s what counts the most. That family man,” Suarez said. “Every time that you talk to Kyle about Brexton, his eyes light up. He was a family man. And because of that, this race is so special. All the combination of these things.
“I want to make sure that the focus and the most important thing about this victory is not Spire Motorsports, it’s not Daniel Suarez — it’s Kyle Busch. Because he was a very, very important piece for me to be here and for Spire Motorsports to be where it is right now.”
Suarez’s touching remarks came during a weekend when the racing world honored Busch following his death on Thursday at age 41.
A statement from the Busch family said the star driver died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, “resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
Busch had been scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 before being hospitalized on Wednesday, having previously been found unresponsive inside a North Carolina racing simulator.
The Indianapolis 500 honored Busch during the 18th lap on Sunday, with the broadcast going silent.
