Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — At the driver’s meeting before Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, had some parting words for the NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

“Let’s put on a race Kyle would be proud of,” Sawyer said, referring to two-time series champion and certain NASCAR Hall of Famer Kyle Busch, who died Thursday after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis.

The drivers took those words seriously and put on a quality show that ended improbably, with Daniel Suárez claiming the third victory of his career when NASCAR called the event 27 laps short of its scheduled finish after a rainstorm drenched the track.

RELATED: Race results | Photos: Kyle Busch tributes

The win was especially poignant for Suárez, who received repeated encouragement and advice from Busch after arriving from his native Mexico and launching his NASCAR career.

“It really means a lot,” Suárez said of the victory. “I’ve been saying for years this is my favorite race of the year. I get to have my family here every year. This is most of the time the only race (they) get to come.

“It’s been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special, man. This one is for Kyle. For Kyle, for (wife) Samantha, for (son) Brexton, for (daughter) Lennix, all his family … definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This win is for him. If it wasn’t for Kyle, I wasn’t going to be an Xfinity champion. I wasn’t going to have my shot in the Cup series. To win this race for him is unbelievable.”

Ryan Sparks, Suárez’s crew chief, made the call that won the race during pit stops under caution for lightning in the area on Lap 356. Taking two right-side tires only, Suárez gained 13 positions on pit road and led the field to green on Lap 360.

Rain slowed the race on Lap 361, with Suárez barely in the lead over Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. With a strong push from fellow Chevrolet driver Kyle Larson, Suárez pulled ahead after the Lap 370 resumption and held the lead until the rains started in earnest three laps later.

For the final restart, Suárez lined up on the inside lane with Bell to his outside. The push from Larson helped Suárez clear Bell’s Toyota almost immediately.

“I knew after the first restart, I knew he couldn’t get clear,” said Bell, who won a rain-shortened Coke 600 two years ago. “I was going to have to stay beside him. I couldn’t stay beside him. He cleared me. Once he cleared me, I knew it was going to be a really tough pass with it being a short run.

“If we would have had all the laps, he was going to block like hell and probably … yeah, he did a good job blocking — but he won the race.”

Suárez, who recovered from two unscheduled green-flag pit stops for tire vibrations, led once for the final 17 laps in scoring his first victory of the season and his first in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.

Bell finished second and Hamlin third, with polesitter and series points leader Tyler Reddick and Larson completing the top five.

Reddick led a race-high 119 laps, followed by Hamlin with 75 and Bell with 44. All told, there were 32 lead changes among 13 drivers on the 1.5-mile intermediate speedway and 12 cautions for 75 laps.

Reddick leaves Charlotte with a 122-point series lead over Hamlin in second.

The event got emotional before it started. Busch’s widow, Samantha, and son Brexton and daughter Lennix made their first public appearance since Busch’s death on Thursday.

Before the cars fired their engines, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell gave Samantha heartfelt assurances that she and her children would always be part of the NASCAR family.

On a day and in a race that traditionally has made a point of recognizing fallen soldiers on Memorial Day Weekend, the special remembrance was also for Busch, who was so suddenly and unexpectedly taken from the NASCAR community.

And there was no lack of action in NASCAR’s longest race.

Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet didn’t make it to the end of the first stage. On Lap 90, Elliott spun off Turn 2 and nosed into the inside wall to cause the third caution of the race.

“I just made a mistake, spun out and hit the wall,” said Elliott, who was running 17th at the time. “I hate it. It’s been a terrible race, I feel like, throughout the course of my career. I’ve just crashed a bunch. There’s a lot of race left. I was trying to find something — we were bleeding pretty bad.

“I moved up to the top there, trying to click off some faster laps. I made a mistake, stepped over the line and paid the price.”

Toyotas dominated the first three stages of the race. Though Kyle Larson won Stage 1, Toyota drivers Chase Briscoe, Reddick and Hamlin claimed the next three positions.

Hamlin led a Camry sweep of the top four positions of Stage 2, and Bell did the same in Stage 3 by pitting late and charging to the front near the end of the segment.

Briscoe, however, was collected in a wild four-car incident on the backstretch on Lap 318. The collision knocked him out of the race, along with Ryan Preece.

Ty Gibbs ran a solid, consistent race and finished sixth, followed by Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron and Zane Smith.

Katherine Legge was running at the finish of the Coca-Cola 600 in the second leg of her Indianapolis 500/Charlotte “Double.” An early crash took Legge out of the race at Indy. After the commute to Charlotte, she finished 31st, 12 laps down in the 600.

The Cup Series’ next race is the Cracker Barrel 400, scheduled Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Christopher Bell bounces back for Stage 3 win

Christopher Bell prevailed in the third of four stages in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, rallying from a pair of earlier pit-road issues.

Bell has led just 15 of the first 300 laps in NASCAR’s longest race, scheduled for 400 laps and 600 miles on the 1.5-mile North Carolina track. His No. 20 Toyota was 2.408 seconds ahead when the green-checkered flag flew for his third stage win of the season.

MORE: Stage 3 results | Watch Bell win Stage 3

Denny Hamlin came home second in Stage 3 in the No. 11 Toyota, with Ty Gibbs third and Chase Briscoe fourth as Joe Gibbs Racing swept the first four spots. Defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson capped the top five in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Austin Hill, a regular in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, was 30th at the Stage 3 break as he drives for Richard Childress Racing in place of Busch.

Katherine Legge, who became the first woman to attempt the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 “Double,” brought out the stage’s only caution period when her No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet lost its right-front wheel on the track’s apron. Legge was scored 36th, 12 laps down at the stage intermission with 100 scheduled laps remaining.

Denny Hamlin leads at halfway mark, wins Stage 2

Denny Hamlin found his way to the front by the midway point of the Coca-Cola 600, leading a sweep of Joe Gibbs Racing entries in winning Stage 2 on Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series races and honors the memory of Kyle Busch at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Denny Hamlin drove his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota under the green-checkered flag in first place by a 3.767-second margin, landing his fourth stage win of the season. Hamlin had led 51 of the 200 laps in NASCAR’s longest race, a 400-lap, 600-mile marathon on Memorial Day weekend.

MORE: Stage 2 results | Watch Hamlin capture Stage 2 win

Ty Gibbs placed second in the Stage 2 order, with teammate Chase Briscoe third to complete a 1-2-3 JGR sweep. Polesitter Tyler Reddick was fourth, with Stage 1 winner Kyle Larson finishing out the top five as the segment went caution-free.

Austin Hill was 20th as he races the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in place of Busch. Katherine Legge, the first woman to attempt the Indianapolis-Charlotte “Double,” was 35th in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevy, midway through the NASCAR portion of her day.

Kyle Larson surges to Stage 1 victory

Kyle Larson prevailed in the opening stage of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, driving from the 18th starting position to the front as the NASCAR Cup Series races and honors the memory of Kyle Busch at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led just four of the 100 laps in the first of four stages in the 400-lap, 600-mile event — the longest on the NASCAR schedule. The green-checkered flag marked the defending series champion’s fourth stage win of the season.

Chase Briscoe was second at the Lap 100 point in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Polesitter Tyler Reddick was third, with Denny Hamlin fourth and Erik Jones closing out the top five.

The 600-mile event went green after a host of pre-race memorial observances for Busch, the legendary driver and champion who died Thursday after a bout with severe pneumonia. Busch’s family joined the rest of the Cup Series field in a moving tribute on pit road, with remarks provided by NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell. The field also ran pace laps in a “missing man” formation, leaving the pole-position slot open.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular Austin Hill was 20th at the end of the first stage, subbing in for Busch in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 Chevrolet — renumbered from Busch’s No. 8.

MORE: Stage 1 results | Watch Larson clinch Stage 1 win

Josh Berry forced the race’s first caution period with a spin through Turn 2 with the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. The second yellow emerged after Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford spun in the same corner, collecting Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet in a heavy impact.

Chase Elliott also found early trouble after a solo wreck, nosing his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the inside wall on the backstraight after losing control as he left Turn 2 on Lap 89.

Zane Smith led a career-best 31 laps in Stage 1 but dropped back after a pit-road speeding penalty in an exchange of stops after Elliott’s crash.

Katherine Legge was scored 35th in the 39-car field as she raced in the second part of her bid to run the Memorial Day weekend “Double.” Legge was involved in an early crash in the Indianapolis 500, finishing last after completing 18 of the 200 laps.

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Suárez as the Coca-Cola 600 winner.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR heads home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a tripleheader spring weekend, starting with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and continuing with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series before the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series take on the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. Bookmark this page for everything you need, including qualifying orders, practice speeds, race results and more.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | TV listings

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: 14 sets for the weekend (12 new race sets, one for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and one for practice).

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Pit Stalls
Starting Lineup
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Stage 3 Results
Race Results

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Race day: Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on The CW. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Six sets for the weekend (four new for the race, one for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and one for practice).

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Averages (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Times (CANCELED)
Starting Lineup
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Race day: Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on FS1. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Five sets for the weekend (three new for the race, one for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and one for practice).

Note: Practice and qualifying were canceled due to inclement weather. The lineup will be set by the NASCAR Rule Book. The race has also been postponed to Saturday due to inclement weather.

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Averages (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Times (CANCELED)
Starting lineup
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. – The NASCAR community paid tribute to Kyle Busch Sunday, moments before the Coca-Cola 600 green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch died Thursday after a bout with severe pneumonia and complications from sepsis, which stopped the sport in its tracks hours before one of its marquee weekends.

MORE: Reflecting on Busch’s life

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell addressed the media in Sunday’s pre-race drivers meeting, approximately one hour before the green flag waved. In the meeting, a front-row seat was left open for Busch in his remembrance, with Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Dillon and Austin Hill just behind. Hill is driving the No. 33 Chevrolet in Sunday’s race, piloting the vehicle previously numbered No. 8 that belonged to Busch.

“It’s not lost on me, and I think everyone here, the loss of Kyle looms heavy, I think, on our entire industry,” O’Donnell said. “And like me, I’m sure you’ve read many of the tributes, heartfelt, from competitors, how Kyle maybe shared a bit of wisdom about how to go about a certain turn, or how to maybe make a tweak to the race car. …

“I think we’ve all long known Kyle as a giant in our sport, but the outpouring of support outside what it is to be in the NASCAR garage has truly proven just how deeply he impacted so many. While we’re all grieving in our own way. I believe it’s our job now as an industry to carry on Kyle’s incredible legacy and support his beautiful family, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, Kurt, their parents, everyone at RCR, JGR, and everywhere that Kyle raced, including at KBM.

“And as I said Friday in the media, our race and community is one big family, and I believe that with everything in my being. We carry this immense loss together. We’re going to miss Kyle, and I want to thank Kyle for being him. He was truly NASCAR.”

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell joins the Busch family and others to pay tribute to the late Kyle Busch before the NASCAR Cup Series race on May 24, 2026, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Following Memorial Day military performances and driver introductions conducted as part of pre-race ceremonies, O’Donnell gathered with the Busch family as Kyle’s wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix joined Kyle’s parents Tom and Gaye as well as his brother and NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch. Backed by the NASCAR Cup Series field, they surrounded a black No. 8 logo painted into the infield turf adjacent to pit stall No. 3 in an emotional tribute as the Busch family made its first appearance since losing its husband, father, brother and winner.

O’Donnell addressed the crowd, honoring the two-time champion who departs as NASCAR’s winningest driver with 234 victories across the sport’s three national series.

“What I think we’ll miss most isn’t the wins,” O’Donnell said. “It’s the guy who quietly wanted to help a teammate or give some advice. It was the husband, the father or the guy who quietly did things for others when no one was watching.”

O’Donnell then took a moment to address Busch’s immediate family.

“Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever,” O’Donnell said, the crowd cheering in agreement as a “Rowdy” chant broke from the grandstands. “Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everyone watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family. And we’ve got you.”

Once the 39 drivers climbed behind the wheel and fired engines, the field paid tribute once more before the green flag. Polesitter Tyler Reddick left an opening space on the front row, creating a “missing man” formation for Busch in pole position.

The NASCAR Cup Series then took its first green flag without Busch since 2015. Fans paid tribute at Lap 8, saluting Busch in his absence.

Coca-Cola 600 crowd salutes Kyle Busch at Charlotte.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Layne Riggs made clear what was on his mind as he took the checkered flag under caution to win Sunday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Did it for Kyle, man, did it for Kyle,” Riggs said in a dedication to two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who lost his life to a sudden illness Thursday at age 41.

RELATED: Unofficial results | Photos: Kyle Busch tributes

In a race thrice delayed by rain from its scheduled Friday night start and run under NASCAR’s adverse conditions provision with a noon ET time limit, Riggs completed 110 of a scheduled 134 laps before the clock ran out.

He earned his second victory of the season, his first at Charlotte and the seventh of his career in a race that featured a record 11 cautions.

After a celebratory burnout in the tri-oval, Riggs, who led a race-high 52 laps and won the second stage, collected the checkered flag, exited his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and performed a deep bow to the crowd in the grandstand — emulating Busch’s signature victory move.

Despite the win, however, Riggs’ mood was restrained.

“Our hearts are really heavy this weekend,” he said after giving Ford its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on a 1.5-mile intermediate speedway since Ben Rhodes won in 2023 at Charlotte. “I’ve been kind of struggling with it a little bit, just trying to keep my game face on and ride … I was borderline sobbing there at the end.”

“But these guys (the No. 34 team) have put a smile on my face. Great job to everybody at Front Row Motorsports. Thank you so much to my teammate Chandler Smith. We had a little teammate restart there (on Lap 104). He stuck with me and pushed me.

“I’m super proud of him and the performance we had today.”

After pushing Riggs to the lead, it was Smith who spun underneath third-place finisher Connor Zilisch off Turn 2 on Lap 106 to cause the final caution and allow Riggs to claim the win under caution after the clock struck noon.

Kaden Honeycutt was second when the yellow slowed the race for the last time, and with the runner-up finish, he retained his series lead by 11 points over Riggs.

“I definitely wanted to be the guy that gave Kyle (Busch) the bow there, because he definitely deserved it,” Honeycutt said. “If I had won, I was planning on giving (Busch’s son) Brexton the flag, because he (Kyle Busch) probably would have laid another butt-whipping on us if he was here.

“Just a bad week for all of us; a tough weekend for the whole community. Hug your loved ones, appreciate them, tell your mom and dad that you love them even if you don’t have a great relationship with them. Life means more than racing, for sure. Second is good, still have a points lead and we will fight in Nashville next week.”

Rhodes ran fourth behind Zilisch, followed by Gio Ruggiero. Stage 1 winner Christian Eckes, Brandon Jones, Tanner Gray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Sawalich completed the top 10.

Corey Day started from the pole in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Busch had been slated to drive, but Day’s race ended early in a dramatic accident on Lap 47.

Running in the top 10, Day threw a block on the No. 17 Toyota of Ruggiero on the backstretch, but contact from Ruggiero’s truck turned Day’s Silverado sideways and airborne.

Day’s truck completed one full rotation in mid-air before landing upright and colliding with the inside wall near the entrance to Turn 3 with bone-jarring impact.

After leaving the infield care center, Day expressed disappointment at not being able to deliver a good finish in Busch’s honor.

“The 17 got a big run there off of (Turn) 2,” Day said. “He kind of started to shade down, and I shaded with him. He shaded back up, and that was it.

“My spotter didn’t do anything wrong. He told me he was there. I thought I was clear, and I wasn’t. I hate it for the No. 7 guys. This is exactly what I didn’t want to do there. I just wanted to give them a good run. I feel terrible.”

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns Friday at Nashville Superspeedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection was completed in the Craftsman Truck Series garage at Charlotte with no issues, confirming Riggs as the race winner.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Ross Chastain drove through a succession of challenges — including a patch of oil and a brush with the outside wall — to win Saturday night’s rain-shortened Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The victory was Chastain’s first in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series since 2019, his first at Charlotte and the third of his career. The race was stopped for rain for the second time after Chastain crossed the finish line to win the second stage on Lap 90.

RELATED: Race results | Photos: Tributes to Kyle Busch

With no hope of continuing, NASCAR called the race after Lap 91 and declared Chastain the winner.

“I did not think we would win one like this, driving into the fence in liquid,” said Chastain, who was driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. “I have no idea what it was. I went into Turn 1 like normal, and there was something on the track.

“No matter how we win, I feel like we could have raced with them again at the end.”

Chastain’s thoughts quickly turned to the absence of champion driver Kyle Busch, who on Thursday lost his life to a sudden illness at age 41.

“This weekend, it’s just incredible trying to grasp losing Kyle,” Chastain said. “I don’t understand how he’s not here racing. I don’t grasp it mentally or spiritually.

“Obviously, racing is the best thing we can to celebrate what he did in the sport and in his life.”

Defending O’Reilly Series champion Jesse Love, who drives for Richard Childress Racing — as did Busch in the Cup Series — was second when the race was called.

“If this week taught us anything, it’s that all this doesn’t matter as much as we think it does,” Love said. “As much as I’m angry and confused and upset (about the way the race finished), I also realized there’s a lot of hurt people right now.”

A spate of cautions punctuated the second stage of the race after a rain delay of more than four hours, but the real damage came on Lap 73, when the drivers of eight cars — including Chastain — slid through fluid deposited by the No. 35 Chevrolet of Dawson Cram.

Chastain kept his car on the track with seemingly minimal damage. Other drivers weren’t as fortunate.

Victims of the oily track included series leader Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray and Jeremy Clements. Allgaier stayed on the lead lap after repeated trips to pit road for repairs but finished 29th as the final 18 laps of the race remained under caution, thanks to drizzling rain and mist that wet the track and obscured spotters’ views from the top of the grandstand.

Austin Hill, Love’s RCR teammate, finished third, followed by William Sawalich and Corey Day. Connor Zilisch, Ryan Sieg, Cole Custer, Carson Kvapil and Rajah Caruth completed the top 10, as JRM placed three drivers in the top 10.

Rain slowed the race twice in the first 33 laps, the first time for a drizzle under caution for Harrison Burton’s spin in Turn 4, the second time for a harder rain that fell after NASCAR called a competition caution on Lap 26.

The rain persisted while the cars circulated under the yellow flag for seven more laps, with Allgaier in the lead behind the pace car. Ultimately, NASCAR red-flagged the race after Lap 33, and the cars sat covered on pit road waiting for a resumption.

At 9:45 p.m. ET, NASCAR called the drivers back to their cars, and the race resumed with eight laps left in Stage 1 after a stoppage of four hours, 21 minutes, 58 seconds.

On Lap 42, Allgaier got loose over the bumps in Turn 3 and gave up the lead to Zilisch, who took the green-checkered flag as the stage winner three laps later.

Then came the decisive second stage, fraught with all its perils. And after it was over, Chastain took a bow, mimicking Busch’s signature move, before making his own familiar move — a watermelon smash — from the roof of his car.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ next race is the Sports Illustrated Resorts 250, scheduled Saturday, May 30 at Nashville Superspeedway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection was completed in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series garage at Charlotte with no issues, confirming Chastain as the race winner. The No. 9 JRM Chevrolet of Chastain was found with two unsecured lug nuts, resulting in a $5,000 fine and a one-race suspension for crew member Michael Roberts.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CONCORD, N.C. — A silent, somber Saturday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway began with further disbelief that Kyle Busch is truly gone.

The Richard Childress Racing team, for which Busch drove, was first to unload its cars in the NASCAR Cup Series garage Saturday. What was previously the No. 8 Chevrolet is now the No. 33. That group of men and women entered the hauler containing what should still be Busch’s car and lowered it from its top storage in silence, with all teams watching in heartbreak as the finality of Busch’s sudden death began to sink in.

MORE: Kyle Busch dies at 41 due to severe pneumonia, sepsis

The backdrop to one of NASCAR’s darkest weekends was apt: overcast and gloomy under an eerie chill that left Busch’s former competitors in a daze, trying to process the news less than 48 hours after Busch’s passing was announced.

“It just doesn’t seem real,” Ryan Blaney said. “Like I just don’t… It feels like a dream that you’re waiting to wake up out of, you’re just not.”

“I’ve never really felt anything like this before at the race track,” said Joey Logano.

Busch’s presence throughout the sport since his booming arrival in 2001 at age 16 was unmistakable — brash, arrogant, thrilling, victorious. His absence on the Cup Series’ first day back without him was just as obvious, though, an emptiness occasionally interrupted by the laughter that comes naturally from the myriad stories that made Busch “Rowdy.”

“Our hearts are broken,” Logano said. “I think our community couldn’t be more surprised. Our eyes have been opened to a lot of different things here in the last couple days, and it’s affected everybody here, I think, in a very unique way and in a very heart-touching way as well throughout this week. And seeing how everybody comes together in moments like this is pretty impressive to see.”

Throughout his career, Busch seemed to have as many clashes as he did wins, even if he didn’t have the 234 trophies to show for those disagreements along the way.

“He was quite the highlight reel,” Logano said.

Among his most public were with Logano, a three-time champion, and 2012 title winner Brad Keselowski. Both came a long way in their relationships with Busch over the years. As Busch rounded into a two-time Cup champion himself — and more notably a doting husband to wife Samantha and father of Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4 — Busch matured, mellowed and grew to become more calculated. That led to better encounters with those he raced against — still carrying a fire to beat them behind the wheel but separating that off the track.

“I feel like we probably had a roller coaster of a relationship,” said Logano, who served as teammates with Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2012. “Early in my career, he was my teammate, so obviously I watched and learned and created a good relationship there. We went on vacation together, I remember. And that relationship I still think was there deep down inside. Unfortunately, sometimes competition gets in the way of things and kind of was there for a little bit, but I do think over the last five or six years, that relationship was growing — maybe not at a very fast rate, but you know it was definitely mending.”

Keselowski made his opinions known with his famous 2010 introduction at Bristol Motor Speedway: “Kyle Busch is an ass!” But the once-frosty foes grew to respect one another in time, particularly as Busch gained perspective as his winning ways in the Cup Series slowed in recent years.

“I would say there was a small thaw over the last year, maybe two, that came from his circumstances being different with respect to race teams and positions on the grid, and it was interesting to see,” Keselowski said. “And it was thawing almost more by the weekend. I flew with Kyle Busch on the way to Dover last Friday, and those are things that I never thought I would say three, five, 10 years ago. So I think it was on that path.

“Selfishly, I was just hopeful for a long time that you know our racing career would continue on the journey that saw us in Hall of Fame and doing those types of things together, and who knows, maybe one day competing in the Truck Series against each other when we’re done with Cup. Obviously, that’s not going to be the case now.”

“Kyle’s loss is the whole industry’s loss,” Keselowski said.

The No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet is lowered off the hauler at Charlotte.
Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

Busch’s voice and driving style helped shape NASCAR’s on-track etiquette. Chase Elliott, named the sport’s most popular driver each year since 2018, said Saturday the best way to trudge forward is to lead by example.

“He was the guy that raced the right way, in my opinion,” Elliott said. “And when you have a guy that raced what I view to be the right way, that rubs off. You don’t have to be the biggest asshole on the race track to win, and I think that Kyle taught me that lesson early on.

“We have to press on. I don’t think anybody here really wants to press on right now, but that is an unfortunate part of what we do and just life in general when things happen. Just an unfortunate reality that we just have to keep our heads down and lend the support to the Busch family as much as we can — not just today, not just next week, not just next month, not just next year. This is not going away. When stuff like this happens, it’s a big topic right now, and it’s on every news outlet that you turn on TV, and next week it won’t, right? But that family is still going to have difficult times ahead, that they’re going to need support from this community that does mean a lot to them, and I certainly intend to do that if I’m ever called upon to be asked for help.”

Ty Gibbs grew up idolizing Kyle Busch. Driving the No. 54 Toyota that previously belonged to KB — back when it was the No. 18 car — Gibbs grew up going to race tracks with Busch, who drove for his grandfather’s company at JGR for 15 years, during Ty Gibbs’ most formative years. Busch’s passing was another significant blow to Gibbs, who lost his father and JGR co-owner Coy Gibbs in November 2022.

“I don’t really have any words right now, to be honest with you guys,” Gibbs said. “I’m just very upset. Obviously, feel for Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, and understand, obviously, somewhat how Brexton feels. It’s just, it’s very sad.”

Busch’s on-track life will live in lore. Busch’s life off the race track, Gibbs said, meant so much more.

“I saw a great role model, somebody I looked up to,” Gibbs said. “I saw a great father, and I saw somebody that was very driven and motivated. I think Kyle was probably one of the toughest dudes that I knew. My dad was a very tough dude and respected Kyle all the way.”

The Richard Childress Racing No. 33 car sits in the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte.
Ethan Smith | For NASCAR Digital Media

On Saturday, there was a return to action, but in no way was it normal. Zane Smith, a West Coast racer just like Busch, entered the weekend tied for 23rd in the Cup Series standings with Busch. That meant his hauler lined up directly next to Busch’s in the garage area Saturday morning, with his No. 38 Ford parked between the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets.

“Just eerie. I don’t know if there’s a word for it,” Smith said. “Kyle and I are tied in points, and I went into today, I’m like, man, our haulers are gonna be right next to each other, and I’m right in between the 3 and the 8 in the garage. It doesn’t feel real. I don’t really know how else to describe it. He just impacted the sport massively, and yeah, just it doesn’t feel real.

“For me, I just always wanted to be like Kyle Busch. When I was growing up, he was winning on Friday, Saturday and dominating Sunday. He was Superman, and that’s all there really was to it.”

There was a sense that no one wanted to be at the race track on Saturday. Just 48 hours removed from receiving word one of the sport’s pillars passed, drivers, fans and officials alike rallied around one another through their own daze, checking in on one another to share stories, offer condolences or simply exist together doing what brought everyone together in the first place: racing.

As NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said Friday: “Kyle Busch would probably be pretty pissed off if we didn’t race, so we’re going to honor his memory.”

But it’s fair for the NASCAR community to be pissed off that Kyle Busch isn’t here to race one more time.

Posted on by Staff Report

Saturday evening’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was red-flagged on Lap 34 of 200 because of inclement weather.

RELATED: Photos: Tributes to Kyle Busch

Practice and qualifying were washed out earlier in the day, with the starting lineup set per the NASCAR Rule Book.

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier led the field to the green flag of the Charbroil 300 from the pole and remained out front in his No. 7 Chevrolet at the time of the race stoppage.

There was an early caution on the second lap when Sam Hunt Racing’s Harrison Burton spun in Turn 3 after contact with Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love.

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Clutching their Katherine Legge hero cards, sisters Abigail and Madison Stopyak claimed their own pole position of sorts Friday morning, first against the ropes outside Katherine Legge’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage — Row C, Stalls 3, 4 and 5 — hoping to get some time and perhaps an autograph or even a photo with their Memorial Day weekend race favorite.

As they stood there, the HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing team rolled Legge’s No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevy into the garage for final preparations before Carburetion Day’s final practice session for Sunday’s 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

It will mark only the first 500 miles of Legge’s anticipated 1,100-mile day, however. If all goes as meticulously planned, she will take a second green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway later Sunday night, driving the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet in NASCAR’s tradition-filled Coca-Cola 600.

RELATED: Charlotte weekend schedule 

It will mark the third consecutive year a driver has attempted “The Double” — reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has done it the last two seasons — and the crossover between the open-wheel thriller and one of NASCAR’s premier events has sparked a new fandom. Legge, an accomplished and versatile driver who’s competed in IMSA sports cars, IndyCar and NASCAR in a two-decade career, is the sixth driver and first woman to attempt the impressive feat.

“I think it’s iconic and so incredible she’s doing what she loves and inspiring other women, too,” said Madison Stopyak, 22.

“I just think it’s really inspiring and incredible she is doing both races,” her sister and fellow New Yorker Abigail, 18, said, grinning with others in the crowd smiling and nodding in agreement.

In many ways, Legge has been preparing for this weekend all her accomplished career. She’s excelled in sports car races — endurance and otherwise — and has previously competed wheel-to-wheel in IndyCar and NASCAR. Her 26th-place start Sunday at Indianapolis is her best position on the grid in four previous Indy 500 starts (2012-13 and 2023-24). Her top finish is 22nd place, and it came in her 2012 Indy debut.

Legge was smiling and acknowledging the crowd as she drove the team cart through pit lane on her way to her pit stall for practice on Friday. She flew Saturday morning to Charlotte for Cup Series practice, and then planned to return to Indy late Saturday night.

“Honestly, it’s been overwhelmingly supportive,” Legge said of the reaction she’s received. “Also, the response from inside the industry itself has been wonderful, the number of drivers who have reached out. People who have offered encouragement or just excitement around this effort.

“The best drivers are the ones that also help other drivers, and Kyle Larson and his team have been super helpful. I think there’s a shared understanding within motorsports of how difficult and rare this challenge really is. That’s been very humbling because drivers understand better than anyone what goes into even attempting the crazy things we sign ourselves up for.”

Katherine Legge suits up as she awaits pole day qualifications at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Amber Pietz | Penske Entertainment

Determined, talented, fit — she competed in an Ironman competition in 2017 — are all words her fellow drivers use in describing the 45-year-old Brit. BJ McLeod, her Cup Series team owner for “The Double,” stood trackside Friday, attending his first Carburetion Day practice at Indy and shared the utmost confidence and expectation of Legge — for multiple reasons.

“I want everybody to see how tough she is,” McLeod said. “I know for a fact she can run both races with no problem. She is genuinely in incredible shape. I tell everybody she’s got the biological age of a 25-year-old. So she’s ready to do it, and I want to see her do both in the same day.”

McLeod has been a strong supporter of Legge’s venture, even if he concedes that being a part of the Indy-Charlotte Double in any way was “never on my bingo card.”

“I always love the month of May,” said the owner-driver of the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet. “I love — and have for most of my career — waking up on Sunday and watching F1 race, then watch Indy, then go race the 600 myself. So that’s been something I always looked forward to. I love watching practice and everything at Indy for the month of May and seeing everybody get ready. I literally was looking forward to the month of May as a fan no more than a month ago. So, it’s pretty crazy all this came to fruition and us get a chance to be a part of this Double.”

Legge was 33rd-fastest in the final Carb Day practice, turning in 48 laps as her crew continued to work on her car.

Of course, the most consequential issue for the logistics of “The Double” is always the weather, and forecasts in Indianapolis vary in their rain expectations for Sunday.

MORE: Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup

Legge said her greater concern is getting some time in her NASCAR entry. She’s only competed on one previous 1.5-mile track, and the 28 laps she ran in Saturday’s practice were her first at Charlotte.

“Yeah, it’s less than ideal,” Legge said of potential bad weather. “Obviously, that doesn’t fill me with warm and fuzzies, but again, it is what it is. We committed to doing this thing, and we’re not going to not do it because I don’t feel ready. I mean, it’s too late for that.”

However, she reminded, “I think once you attempt something like ‘The Double,’ weather basically becomes another factor that’s out of your control. At a certain point, you also realize you can’t emotionally ride every forecast update because it’ll drive you insane. The biggest thing has honestly been staying adaptable, being flexible. Beyond that, you just focus on the things you can control and try not to waste energy on the rest.”

It’s a common-sense approach and one of the innumerable takeaways Legge has equipped herself with as she prepares for what will be one of the most impactful days of her career.

“The best advice came from Kyle Larson,” Legge said of the reigning NASCAR champion. “He told me to make sure I take time to actually enjoy the experience because it’s very easy to get consumed by the logistics, the pressure, and all the moving pieces surrounding something this ambitious.

“I think drivers who’ve attempted ‘The Double’ all understand the same thing – there’s no such thing as a perfect day. Tony Stewart said he can give me all the things not to do, but something unexpected will likely happen. The key is staying calm and adaptable when it does. That mindset honestly applies to racing in general, but probably even more so on a day like this.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Inclement weather at Charlotte Motor Speedway washed away NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying earlier in the day. The starting lineup for the 15th race of the 2026 season will be set per the NASCAR Rule Book and is scheduled for a 5 ET start Saturday night (The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Justin Allgaier is set to lead the field to green in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet at the 1-5- mile Concord, North Carolina, facility.

RELATED: Weekend schedule: Charlotte | How to watch NASCAR on The CW

Full starting lineup for Charbroil 300:

Starting PositionCar No.Driver NameSponsor
17Justin AllgaierLiquid IV/Hellmann's/Commissary
217Corey DayHendrickCars.com
341Sam MayerCharbroil
420Brandon JonesMenards/Pennington
51Connor ZilischRegistix
621Austin HillGlobal Industrial
718William SawalichStarkey
88Sammy SmithAlpha Craft
939Ryan SiegSciAps
1088Rajah CaruthHendrickCars.com
1144Brennan PooleMacc Door Systems
1200Sheldon CreedRoad Ranger
1396Anthony AlfredoDogs By Andy K-9 Services
149Ross ChastainCarolina Carports
1551Jeremy ClementsKevin Whitaker Chevrolet
1687Austin GreenPurple Hearts and Homes
172Jesse LoveWhelen
1819Brent CrewsYoungLife
1924Harrison BurtonDead On Tools
2032Andrew PattersonWinsupply
2126Dean ThompsonThompson Pipe Group
2228Kyle SiegMike Efaw's/Independent Metal Strap
2348Patrick StaropoliSyfovre
2491Carson KvapilClarience Technologies
2554Taylor GrayOperation 300
2607Josh BilickiMando
2702Ryan EllisFour Loko USA
2855Joey GaseGood Dad Gang
290Cole CusterSysco
3092Leland Honeyman Jr.DPR Construction
3199Parker RetzlaffFree Bird Southern Spring Water
3242Nathan Byrd24 Hour Garage Door Service
3331Blaine PerkinsWerner Operation Freedom
3435Dawson CramDenver Dirt
3527Jeb BurtonPurina Dog Chow
3653David StarrBret Baier/Cell Phones For Soldiers
3745Lavar ScottUrban Affairs Coalition
3838JJ YeleyCarolina Land & Grading Solutions
Posted on by Staff Report

Persistent rain washed away NASCAR Cup Series qualifying Saturday afternoon, placing points leader Tyler Reddick on the pole position for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota will start first when the green flag falls on stock-car racing’s longest event on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He will be flanked on the front row by fellow Toyota driver Ty Gibbs, who was second in the inclement weather lineup in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54.

RELATED: Weekend schedule

Wet weather has stymied the weekend schedule at the 1.5-mile North Carolina track, with rain disrupting on-track activity for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series and causing all three series to set their lineups according to the NASCAR Rule Book.

The rest of the top five (in order): Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe.

O’Reilly Series regular Austin Hill will start 13th Sunday in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, taking the place of Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who died Thursday. Hill will be making his third Cup Series start of the season in Sunday’s 600-miler.

Stenhouse sets pace in Cup Series practice

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the way in a 45-minute practice session Saturday afternoon, putting his No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet first on the leaderboard at 185.765 mph.

Stenhouse’s best lap was 0.106 seconds faster than Carson Hocevar’s, clocking at 185.090 mph in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy. Michael McDowell was third-fastest in another Spire Chevy at 184.932. McDowell was also tops in the consecutive 10-lap averages category.

MORE: Cup Series practice results

Austin Dillon found trouble nearly midway through the session after the left-rear tire on his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet went down on the backstretch. The only other incident came when rookie Corey Heim’s No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota scraped the outside retaining wall in Turn 1.

Austin Hill was 28th on the speed charts in the No. 33 Chevrolet. Katherine Legge, who will attempt “The Double” with competition in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, was 38th-fastest in the 39-car field in the Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 Chevrolet.

StartCar No.DriverSponsor
145Tyler ReddickMobil 1/O'Reilly Auto Parts Toyota
254Ty GibbsMonster Energy Toyota
397Shane van GisbergenSuperFile Chevrolet
471Michael McDowellModo Casino Chevrolet
519Chase BriscoeBass Pro Shops Toyota
612Ryan BlaneyBODYARMOR FLASH I.V. Ford
717Chris BuescherBody Guard Ford
82Austin CindricMenards/Duracell Ford
93Austin DillonBass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic
1016AJ AllmendingerBlack's Tire Chevrolet
1111Denny HamlinNational Debt Relief Toyota
1260Ryan PreeceKroger/SToK Ford
1333Austin Hill(i)Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet
147Daniel SuárezFreeway Insurance Chevrolet
1542John Hunter NemechekDollar Tree Toyota
169Chase ElliottNAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
1720Christopher BellInterstate Batteries Toyota
185Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Chevrolet
1938Zane SmithAaron's Rent To Own Ford
2034Todd GillilandGrillo's Pickles Ford
2143Erik JonesAdventHealth Toyota
2241Cole CusterSysco/Hickory Tavern Chevrolet
2377Carson HocevarChili's Ride the 'Dente Chevrolet
2423Bubba WallaceColumbia Toyota
2588Connor Zilisch #Red Bull Chevrolet
266Brad KeselowskiBuildSubmarines.com Ford
271Ross ChastainJockey x Folds of Honor Chevrolet
284Noah GragsonRush Truck Centers Ford
2948Alex BowmanAlly Chevrolet
3035Riley HerbstFRE Nicotine Pouches Toyota
3124William ByronRaptor Chevrolet
3247Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Three Finger Jack Chevrolet
3322Joey LoganoShell Pennzoil Ford
3421Josh Berryeero Ford
3510Ty DillonGrizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet
3666Timmy Hill(i)Pinnacle Mortgage Corp. Ford
3778Katherine Leggee.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet
3851Cody WareEvel Knievel Museum/World Supercross
3967Corey Heim(i)Fleetio Toyota