INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 24: A decal in memory of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is seen on the car of Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet before the The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24, …
INDIANAPOLIS (FOX 2) - NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was honored during Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
What we know:
Busch died Thursday at age 41. On Saturday, the Busch family announced his cause of death was pneumonia that led to sepsis.
Kyle Busch dies: 2-time NASCAR champ was 41
NASCAR legend Kyle Busch has died on Thursday. During his stellar career, Busch won 234 races across the sport's three national series.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his generation, recording 234 career wins — including 63 in the NASCAR Cup Series and 171 across NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck series.
Big picture view:
Although Busch never raced in the Indy 500 or the IndyCar Series, he found significant success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in NASCAR competition.
IMS held a moment of silence for Busch ahead of Carb Day on Friday. During Sunday’s race, the scoring pylon was lit in his honor on Lap 18 — the number of the car he drove when he won the Brickyard 400 in 2015 and 2016.
Doug Boles, president of IndyCar and IMS, shared details of the tributes on social media Friday and noted Busch had expressed strong interest in racing in a future Indy 500. Busch’s brother, Kurt Busch, competed in the Indy 500 in 2014.
Several teams also honored Busch with special pit signs, decals and fonts displayed on their cars during the race.
Chip Ganassi Racing changed its pit signs in Busch’s honor, while Dale Coyne Racing used the same font Busch featured on his No. 18 car during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Drivers for Team Penske also carried a new logo near the front of their cars to honor Busch during the race.
Ahead of the race, veteran NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Tony Stewart took time to remember Kyle Busch live on Fox from IMS.
Kyle Busch 'defined what it means' to be a champion, NASCAR CEO says
Kyle Busch "defined what it means to be a racer in NASCAR," CEO Steve O’Donnell said, "the fire, the greatness, the heart that sometimes you rarely saw."
The backstory:
Busch reportedly believed he had a cold while racing at Watkins Glen International on May 10 and told his team he needed a "shot" from a doctor after the race.
He was testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte.
Busch, who had been preparing to race Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, experienced shortness of breath, overheating and was coughing up blood, according to a 911 call obtained by The Associated Press.
All 39 drivers entered in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will race with a black No. 8 decal on their cars in Busch’s honor.
Kyle Busch dies: Reactions pour out on social media for 2-time NASCAR champion
Reactions poured out on social media from fans, influencers and public figures after 2-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch died, according to a family statement that was released on Thursday.
What's next:
IndyCar's next stop will be the Detroit Grand Prix starting Friday, May 29 — Sunday, May 31.
The Source: Information came from original FOX 2 reporting, X and Instagram sourcing and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.