The No. 8 car — used by Kyle Busch since 2023 until his sudden death Thursday at 41 years old — won’t be used again until his 11-year-old son, Brexton, takes over.
“Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond,” Busch’s racing team wrote in a statement posted to social media Friday. “Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did.”
It served as a touching tribute to Busch — one of the most decorated NASCAR drivers of all-time who had won 63 races — and joined the others that poured in after his death, which followed him being hospitalized with a “severe illness.”
He became unresponsive while using a racing simulator at General Motors Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, N.C., according to the Associated Press, and 911 audio obtained by the California Post revealed that Busch was coughing up blood while lying on the bathroom floor at the simulator.
Busch was originally scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 before the illness, and his last professional victory occurred May 15 in the 2026 Ecosave 200 as part of the Craftsman Truck Series.
“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” NASCAR said in a statement following Busch’s death. “Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Brexton has already won more than 100 competitions, according to TMZ, and just three days before Busch died, he shared a post of his family celebrating Brexton’s birthday.
“Happy Birthday Brexton!!! Your mom & I are so proud of who you’re turning out to be! You’re the best kid on & off the track, you amaze us every day,” Busch wrote in the heartbreaking Instagram post. “Keep doing what you’re doing and there is no limit to what you’ll accomplish! Love you buddy!”