Tennessee coach Rick Barnes reflects on Kyle Busch’s tragic death and NASCAR’s emotional tribute

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The shocking death of NASCAR’s Kyle Busch is being felt across the world, with many still in disbelief that the legendary driver passed away last week due to complications from pneumonia, including Tennessee’s Rick Barnes.

After a weekend filled with tributes from across multiple sports leagues that include the NHL, MLB, IndyCar and the PGA, the news is still shocking to grasp.

For some, watching NASCAR put together a beautiful tribute to the driver last weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 was just the type of thing needed to help the sport get through the days following the tragic news.

KYLE BUSCH ON “HANG OUT WITH SEAN HANNITY”

After passing away last Thursday at a local Charlotte hospital, news of the untimely death of Kyle Busch sent shockwaves through the sports community.

Kyle Busch and his son, Brexton Busch, wave to fans during driver introductions before the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 19, 2024. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

One of those fans who follow the sport closely is Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, who grew up going to races in Hickory, North Carolina.

An avid NASCAR follower, the shocking news of Busch passing away is still hard to rack his brain around.

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“Being a NASCAR fan, I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” Barnes told OutKick. “I was really in disbelief because I was thinking of Kyle Busch at 41 years old and wondering how could this possibly happen. As i’ve followed it very closely I just think it got to a point where when you’re his age you probably feel like you can overcome everything, and keep going. It sounds like he pushed himself really to almost like a tragic death. 

“I can only imagine what it’s like for him, I’ve had double-pneumonia and I know what I felt like. I can only imagine him climbing into that simulator with those g-forces coming at him, it had to just totally overwhelm his whole…he probably couldn’t move.”

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes protests a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Florida in Gainesville, Fla., on Jan. 7, 2025. (Alan Youngblood/AP)

NASCAR community rallies around family of Kyle Busch

From the opening montage featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Amazon Prime, to the countless drivers paying their respects to Busch in different manners, it wasn’t hard to notice the impact Busch had on the NASCAR world.

But, it was the moment CEO Steve O’Donnell took the microphone to speak with the fans at home and in the crowd, flanked by Kyle’s wife Samantha and their two kids, the tenor changed.

As “Amazing Grace” was played, with NASCAR drivers standing behind the Busch family, the realization started to set in that we had lost a legend. For their part, the organization did a fantastic job paying their respects to Kyle, while his son Brexton hugged his mother Samantha tight around the hips.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Samantha Busch, Brexton Busch and NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell stand on the grid during a remembrance ceremony for Kyle Busch before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on May 24, 2026. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

If anything, NASCAR knows how to honor those who were part of their family, which Tennessee’s Rick Barnes pointed out.

“I have great respect for NASCAR because I think they have the beat on America,” Barnes recalled to OutKick. “The way they respect what’s come before them, they’ve never lost their way in terms of history. They’ve totally continued to honor that. You have a guy who is truly one of the greatest ever, I thought they did a great job with that.

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“The sad part obviously is his wife and two kids right there, knowing that I think he wanted to one day race his son, which is what makes NASCAR so beautiful.”

It’s clear that Kyle Busch will leave a lasting legacy and never be forgotten, as the NASCAR world continues to honor the legendary driver moving forward.