NASCAR has plenty of race tracks. Kyle Busch had Bristol.
It was the place where he became one of the most successful drivers in the history of the revered half-mile, collecting a record 23 victories across NASCAR’s three national divisions. It was also a place where Busch seemed to thrive on the noise, the lights, the short-track violence and, naturally, the reaction from the fans.
On Saturday night, Bristol gave some of that love back.
The tribute to Busch was impossible to miss.
M&M’s made a surprise return to NASCAR, adorning Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota in a throwback tribute to the driver who turned the colorful candy brand into one of the most recognizable sponsorships in motorsports.
But the most important people wearing Busch’s colors weren’t behind the wheel.
The Busch family was at Bristol, with Brexton walking alongside Gibbs during driver introductions. Samantha Busch was there as well, standing on the grid with Brexton and daughter Lennix beside her and the M&M’s No. 54 sitting behind them.
And then Samantha spoke to the thousands in the coliseum who grew silent hanging on every word.
She talked about Bristol, about Kyle, about the fans and about a life that had revolved around NASCAR for two decades.
“Bristol was always so special to Kyle,” she said. “He loved racing under the lights, the energy of this place, and most of all, you, the fans.”
That last part was particularly appropriate at a place where Busch was rarely allowed to simply blend into the background.
Bristol fans loved Kyle Busch.
Bristol fans hated Kyle Busch.
Sometimes, apparently, they managed to do both before the green flag even dropped.
Samantha acknowledged that reality.
“You celebrated his wins. You stood by him on the hard days, and yeah, plenty of you guys booed him as well,” she said.
“But whether you knew him as Kyle, the ‘Candyman,’ ‘Rowdy’ or simply your favorite driver, there was no Rowdy without you guys.”
It was a fitting reminder that Busch’s relationship with NASCAR fans was never exactly complicated.
It was loud.
Very loud.
And Bristol understood that better than just about anywhere.
For 20 years, Samantha said, NASCAR had been the Busch family’s life.
“It’s where we raised our babies and made some of our very best memories,” she said. “I never imagined we’d be standing here without him.”
That sentence landed with considerably more force than anything a highlight reel could have managed.
Because this wasn’t about the 23 Bristol wins.
It wasn’t about championships or trophies or statistics.
It was about the husband and father behind all of it.
Since Kyle’s passing, Samantha said, the racing community has embraced her, Brexton and Lennix.
And on Saturday night, Bristol did what Bristol does best. It made a lot of noise.
Then came Lap 18.
Thousands of fans in the grandstands, along with members of the teams and others scattered throughout the infield, raised yellow M&M’s flags in tribute to Busch.
The symbolism was about as subtle as a Busch restart at Bristol.
It didn’t need to be subtle.
Samantha had asked the fans to make sure Kyle knew Bristol still had a place for him.
“Kyle’s legacy is so much bigger than wins and championships,” she said. “It lives on in the drivers that he mentored, the fans that he connected with, and most of all, the incredible father and husband that he was to us.”
Then came the final line.
“So when Lap 18 comes around, grab those towels and wave them high. Let’s show Kyle that Bristol will always have a special place in its heart for the one and only Rowdy.”
For one night, Bristol wasn’t just remembering a driver.
It was remembering its driver.
And under those famous lights, with M&M’s colors glowing around the track and yellow flags waving through the grandstands, Rowdy was home again.
(Samantha Busch speaks to the crowd at Bristol)
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
- Bristol remembers Rowdy as Kyle Busch’s family turns a race into a tribute - September 19, 2026
- Bristol gets messy and Sheldon Creed gets another trophy - September 18, 2026
- Kyle Larson finally gets the good side of NASCAR’s rule book - September 18, 2026