Watch: How Coca-Cola 600 Winner Daniel Suarez Honored NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch After Death
Daniel Suarez is keeping Kyle Busch‘s memory alive.
Three days after Busch pulled out of the Coca-Cola 600—just hours before his death at age 41—the race’s winner dedicated his milestone to his mentor.
“This one really means a lot,” Daniel—who built his bond with Busch in 2015—said in a May 24 post-race interview with NASCAR. “It’s been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special, man.”
The victory was emotional for the 34-year-old, who spotlighted Busch’s wife Samantha Busch and kids Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4, while reflecting on his win.
“This one is for Kyle—for Kyle, for Samantha, for Brexton, for Lennix, for all his family,” he said. “Every win is special. But definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This one is for him.”
When Suarez began his journey as a race car driver in 2015, Busch became a major supporter of the young athlete. The pair would go on to call one another every week that season.
“I remember, in the second half of the year, I just kept asking him,” Suarez told reporters May 23 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, per The Charlotte Observer. “I was a sponge. I wanted as much information as possible.”
“When I started getting good, and we started racing together, he said, ‘I think you’re getting too good. I think I need to stop helping you,'” he continued. “But he always continued to help me. So to me that was very impactful.”
Busch died May 21, hours after he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness,” which his family confirmed in a statement, per NBC News, was “severe pneumonia” that “progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
More details about his death also came to light, including the driver—who is one of the most decorated drivers in the sport’s history—passing out while testing the Chevrolet racing simulator a day before his death, as several people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press.
The NASCAR world has continued highlighting Busch’s legacy, with the Indy 500 also honoring the star.
“A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation,” NASCAR shared in a joint statement with the Busch family after his death. “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
“NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon,” the statement added. “During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
For a closer look at Busch’s life on and off the racetrack, keep reading.
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