Drivers remember Kyle Busch before race at late Las Vegas star's hometown track

LAS VEGAS (AP) — NASCAR Cup Series leaders Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are focused primarily on maximizing their performances in an effort to win the season championship.

At the same time, they and other drivers competing Sunday in Las Vegas took time to reflect on the loss of Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who died May 21 from sepsis following severe bacterial pneumonia.

“This is a place I know the Busch brothers, especially, took a lot of pride in running and wanting to run well, as it’s their hometown,” Hamlin said. “I like all the tributes, because in our society we tend to move on to the next thing so easily and it’s easy to forget. When you have these tributes that keep going on throughout the year, it’s a really good reminder to put things in perspective and keep remembering someone who was so big and influential in our sport.”

Track organizers scheduled multiple celebrations of Busch’s life leading into the race. Fans and drivers will observe a “Moment of Rowdy” on Lap 8 and the Friday night race at nearby short track was renamed the Kyle Busch Classic.

Brother Kurt Busch, also a Cup champion, will lead the field as the pace car driver for Sunday’s race.

Larson attended the inaugural Kyle Busch Classic and will run a throwback paint scheme honoring Busch’s early career at Hendrick Motorsports.

Driver Carson Hocevar said the Busch celebration means more in Las Vegas than at the other tracks on the circuit.

“A lot of his fans — probably most of his fans — are here,” Hocevar said. “So it’s very important. Anybody’s home track is going to be their most special place.”

Hamlin has the record for most completed laps (7,696) in his 29 races at LVMS. He also is tied for most lead lap finishes with 25 and is the oldest driver to win a race here (March 15, 2026 at age 45 years, 3 month, 25 days) and is the last driver to win the race from the pole position (Oct. 12, 2025).

Larson has led the most laps (881) in his 20 races here and has the highest average starting position (7.2) and average finish (8.9)

Chris Buescher, teammate to Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing, said he learned of Keselowski’s impending departure during an internal team meeting before the news broke on social media.

“I’ve built a great friendship with Brad as a teammate, boss and mentor,” said Buescher, who enters the weekend 15th in the Cup Series standings. “I want what’s best for him going forward, whatever that looks like.”

Despite the timing of the announcement regarding Keselowski’s transition from the organization he co-owns, Buescher expects him to remain behind the wheel.

“I can’t answer that 100%, but Brad is very strategic,” Buescher said. “Brad usually has a plan.”

Daniel Suárez and wife Julia welcomed their first child, Otto Suárez Piquet, on Sept. 22. Julia is the daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet.

Suárez said he has been most amazed by his newborn son’s feeding schedule.

“He’s eating every two hours,” said Suárez, who enters Sunday’s race ranked 16th in points. “Julia’s breastfeeding, so it’s a lot of work. You spend 45 minutes feeding him and 15 minutes burping him, and then he falls asleep for 30 minutes before it’s time to eat again.”

Larson (+350) enters as the betting favorite to win the South Point 400, followed by Hamlin (+400) and Christopher Bell (+500). A non-playoff driver has never won a Cup Series Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where five of the last seven winners have started from the front row.

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