​Kyle Busch’s widow posted a heartfelt thank-you to the NASCAR community on Sunday, just days after a moving post-July Fourth moment that moved thousands to tears. Samantha Busch, who had only shared eight Instagram posts since her husband’s sudden passing on May 21, once again stunned the NASCAR world. This time she shared dozens of condolence cards she had received from NASCAR fans at Pocono Raceway, handwritten during the track’s June race on July 13 and 14.
An hour before the NASCAR Cup Series flag dropped at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway, Busch wrote that she was “reminded again how much it hurts that we’re not there cheering on Kyle. It still feels surreal watching from the couch and I still catch myself looking for his name on the leaderboard. At the same time, I’m filled with gratitude.” She posted about 20 photos featuring her husband, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, including moments with team owners Richard Childress and Joe Gibbs, as well as with former NASCAR President Mike Helton.
The NASCAR world is a close-knit community where the toll on a family—traveling 38 weekends a year—can be overwhelming in both body and spirit. When Busch passed away, she credited the NASCAR wives with helping her navigate the darkest moments. She emphasized that their support extended to her children, Lennix and Brexton, making sure they were cared for and reminded that they would be okay.
“The NASCAR wives, thank you for showing up with meals when I couldn’t even think about cooking, for the texts that reminded me I wasn’t alone, for continuing to love on us in the midst of your busy lives,” Busch wrote. “You didn’t just love on me, you loved on our children. Your kids made Lennix the sweetest cards, and she still looks at them and asks, ‘When are we going back to the MRO to see my friends?’ Behind the scenes, our family and closest friends carried me through moments I honestly don’t know how I would have survived. They stepped in when I physically and emotionally couldn’t, sat with me in the silence, loved our children like their own, and reminded me over and over that I didn’t have to walk this road alone.”
Just days earlier, Busch had shared emotional photos from a trip to Idaho to visit her husband’s former teammate and close friend Brian Scott and his family. The Busch family has appeared publicly in various ways over the past two months, including Brexton’s local races and glimpses of their travels. Yet their most poignant public moment came with a tribute just before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, four days after Busch’s passing.
“I’ll never forget sitting beside Brexton during intros at the Coke 600,” Busch said. “As each driver walked onto that stage weari…”