Somber mood surrounds Coca Cola 600 as drivers prepare to race 3 days after Kyle Busch's death

NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch found himself in bed scrolling through social media on his phone, growing more depressed with each post he read about Kyle Busch.

For the first time in his life, Zilisch had a hard time getting himself motivated to go to the racetrack.

He’s not the only one grappling with the sudden and tragic death of the sport’s 41-year-old superstar.

On Sunday night, 39 Cup Series drivers return to the track for the Coca-Cola 600 just three days after the death of Busch, who had more wins (234) than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series.

Severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis and resulted in rapid and overwhelming complications that led to Busch’s death, according to a statement released Saturday by his family.

“It just doesn’t feel like a real race weekend,” Zilisch said. “Like the entire vibe in the garage, it’s eerie here. It’s gloomy. It’s just, it’s gonna be tough come Sunday for sure. There’s gonna be a lot of emotion. It’s gonna be sad.”

Rain washed out qualifying on Saturday and the gray, overcast sky served as a fitting background for the somber mood enveloping Charlotte Motor Speedway and its 1 1/2-mile track.

Former Busch rival Joey Logano said there is simply nothing normal about this weekend.

“It’s definitely a very different vibe. I never really felt anything like this before at the racetrack,” Logano said. "... You just kind of see less smiles and everybody is sad. It’s an emotion that we’re all feeling — as raw as it can be — and we’re all trying to handle it in our own way. There are some pretty heavy emotions on our hearts.”

Defending race champion Ross Chastain said he knows only one way to deal with Busch’s death.

“Go race,” said Chastain, who celebrated the come-from-behind 2025 win by slamming watermelons on the track from the roof of his car, his signature move.

There are reminders of Busch everywhere.

The track’s oversized video board features an in memoriam photo of Busch. The scoring tower on the infield lists just one number on the very top: 8. That’s been Busch’s car number the past four seasons since he made the move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing.

Every car in the field will carry a black No. 8 decal on Sunday to honor the two-time Cup Series champion.

Despite the overwhelming sense of sadness at the track, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell never considered postponing the race.

“Kyle Busch would probably be pretty (ticked) off if we didn’t race, so we’re going to honor his memory,” O’Donnell said.

Normally, Charlotte Motor Speedway goes above and beyond to honor the military on Memorial Day weekend, with several tributes to fallen soldiers, includings listing their names on the windshields.

But this weekend also will be about paying tribute to Busch.



(AP Photo Matt Kelley)