10,000 people attended the celebration of life event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina on Friday, Oct. 9

NEED TO KNOW

• The family of Kyle Busch was joined by 10,000 fans at his celebration of life at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 9
• Busch’s wife, Samantha, spoke at the event, sharing family memories in an emotional 10-minute speech, and his 11-year-old son Brexton did a burnout on the track in honor of his dad
• The NASCAR driver died on May 21 after he developed severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

Samantha Busch honored her late husband, Kyle Busch, with a heartfelt message during a celebration of life event for the NASCAR legend on Friday, Oct. 9.

Samantha, 40, shared memories of her husband in an emotional 10-minute speech during the event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. on Friday, Oct. 9, ESPN reported.

“This is not the end of Kyle’s story,” Samantha said. “His story continues every time we give a young racer a chance, share something he taught us or share with the next generation what made Rowdy unforgettable.”

Kyle died at age 41 on May 21 after developing severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

“I never fully understood what this sport meant until we lost him,” Samantha continued. “The races kept going, the cars kept circling the track, but our world had stopped. I didn’t know how we would find our way without him. But then, all of you showed us. You came to Brexton’s races. You honored Kyle at every racetrack across the country and shared what he meant to you.”

Friday’s ceremony took place at the start-finish line of the track after the Craftsman Truck Series Chase race.

Kyle’s 11-year-old son, Brexton, honored his father by doing a burnout on the race track, later getting out of his dad’s No. 8 car and climbing on top of its roof. Facing the cheering crowd, Brexton took a bow as he stood on top of the car, recreating his dad’s signature post-race move.

NASCAR previously announced that FOX play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, Joe Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon would be in attendance Friday to recognize Kyle’s legacy.

A two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle tallied a whopping 234 victories across three NASCAR national series.

He had been slated to participate in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Coca-Cola 600 before his death on May 21.

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Samantha, who married Kyle in 2010, thanked the NASCAR community for supporting their family, including son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4, in the wake of Kyle’s death.

“The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain,” she wrote on Instagram in June. “Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”

Ahead of Friday’s event, Samantha took to Instagram to express what the Celebration of Life would be.

“I really want this to be a night where the entire NASCAR community can come together to celebrate Kyle, his life, and the legacy he leaves behind in the sport we built our lives around,” Samantha captioned a video posted Friday, Oct. 2.

She continued, “It’s a chance for everyone to share memories, hear from some special speakers from within the industry, see his cars and trophies, and celebrate everything that made Kyle who he was. We’ll also have a drone show, country music, and so much more.”

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