Kyle Busch, NASCAR‘s winningest driver across the top three series, died unexpectedly on May 21 due to complications of pneumonia at age 41. In the aftermath of his tragic death, Austin Hill took over his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
Out of respect for Busch and his family, the car number was changed from the No. 8 to the No. 33. However, RCR continued to bring Busch’s No. 8 hauler and equipment to the racetrack.
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On Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, after the season-final race for the Cup Series concluded, Busch’s No. 8 hauler left the racetrack for the final time.
In a video by Motorsport, the No. 33 team was seen loading up Busch’s hauler after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway had concluded.
“RCR’s hauler, with Kyle Busch’s signature and number still on it, loads up for the final time.
♥
“
Another video surfaced of Busch’s No. 8 hauler departing the Homestead-Miami Speedway as it drove through the tunnel to exit the 1.5-mile track. It will be the final time Busch’s hauler will be seen at the racetrack.
Piloting the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet, Hill finished 15th in Sunday’s season-finale race. It was Hill’s second-best finish of the 2026 campaign since filling in for the late Busch, with a 14th-place result at Talladega being his best effort.
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Hill is set to return to the No. 33 Chevrolet full-time in 2027. A 16-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series winner, Hill continued to run full-time in the series for RCR, driving the No. 21 Chevrolet. Hill recorded two wins in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026 and finished 10th in the points standings.
As the 2026 season has concluded, the death of Kyle Busch has not been lost on any of the minds in the NASCAR community. On Sunday at Homestead, the tributes to “Rowdy” continued.
Every fan in the grandstands at Homestead was given a No. 8 Busch flag. A memorial graphic dedicated to Busch was painted on the frontstretch. Busch won both of his Cup Series championships (2015, 2019) by winning at Homestead.
The NBC TV booth acknowledged the silent Lap 8 in memory of the late champion. Many fans in attendance held up eight fingers during the lap in honor of “Rowdy.”
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Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series, the most of any driver. He won his final NASCAR race in the Craftsman Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway on May 15, just six days before his death.
