Charlotte Motor Speedway to host a celebration of life for the late Kyle Busch on Friday night

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Motor Speedway will host a celebration of life for former NASCAR driver Kyle Busch on Friday following the Trucks Series race.

Busch died in May from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis, according to the former NASCAR star’s death certificate.

CMS said the event will allow the NASCAR community to come together to celebrate Busch through stories, memories, iconic moments and the lasting impact he made on the sport and at the 1 1/2-mile track oval. Busch’s widow, Samantha, will be a part of the program, along with team owner Joe Gibbs and Cup Series drivers Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon.

The ceremony, which is free to fans, will conclude with a performance by country musician Cole Swindell.

“I have so many great stories with Kyle," said Suárez, who drives for Spire Motorsports. “He went from being an idol to being a mentor to being a teammate and then he became a friend.”

Busch was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver at Charlotte Motor Speedway across all three series. His 69 Truck Series victories remain the most in series history and drivers say that his legacy extends far beyond the record book.

Suárez recalled that Busch helped him navigate his rookie season and regularly gave him advice on the phone.

When Suárez passed Busch to win his first NASCAR race in Michigan in 2016, Busch was one of the first to meet him in victory lane and offer a congratulatory hug.

“He said, ‘Hey, no more calls anymore,’” Suárez recalled. "And I thought that was very funny. I know he was joking, but sometimes he was being real. So that was, that’s something I always loved about Kyle, that he was funny. But he was very straightforward, and I really love that.”

Trucks Series driver Layne Riggs, who races for Front Row Motorsports, said Busch is on the “pedestal” of racing.

“Everybody wants to be him,” Riggs said. "Everybody wants to have the stats, the wins that he had, and we know we’ll never have a chance to do that. But he’s always going to be the goal. That’s what we always shoot and strive for and he was always the mentor and the person that we all looked up to. We’re all going to miss him dearly and can’t wait to see the tribute.”

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