Kyle Busch's No. 8 To Be Saved For His Beloved Son Brexton After His Death

Richard Childress Racing has made the decision to temporarily retire Kyle Busch's No. 8 Cup Series car following his tragic death at the age of 41. And they will keep it retired until the late driver's 11-year-old son, Brexton, is ready to take 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," they shared in a statement. "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. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."

Busch's passing came after his family shared that he was hospitalized with a "severe illness." It was then reported that he was found unresponsive inside a Chevrolet racing simulator in North Carolina. That was followed by NBC News releasing information from the 911 call in which Busch was said to be coughing up blood and lying on a bathroom floor.

"I've got an individual that's, uh, shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out and is producing a little bit of blood - coughing up some blood," a man can be heard saying on the call.

"He's awake," the man added. "He's on the bathroom floor right now."

Across his distinguished career, which spanned over more than two decades, Busch won 234 races, including 63 Cup Series victories as well as Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019.

"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," The Busch family as well as his racing team, Richard Childress Racing said in a joint statement.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 5:46 PM.