Samantha Busch is remembering her late husband, Kyle Busch, with an emotional Father’s Day tribute one month after his death.
The NASCAR champion died on May 21 at the age of 41 after a severe case of pneumonia progressed into sepsis, leaving behind his wife and their two children, 11-year-old Brexton and 4-year-old Lennix.
Sunday (June 21) marked the family’s first Father’s Day without him, and Samantha shared a heartbreaking message on social media about navigating a day that was supposed to be filled with celebration.
Samantha Busch Remembers Kyle on Father’s Day
In her post, Samantha reflected on the Father’s Day cards that had already been made and the painful reality that there was no longer anyone to give them to.
Read More: Kyle Busch’s Wife Samantha Made a Powerful Promise to Him Before He Died
“This still doesn’t feel real at all,” she wrote. “I was up all night thinking about what today should have looked like for Kyle and the kids. The Father’s Day cards that were already made, sitting in a drawer with no one to give them to.”
Read More: Kyle Busch’s 11-Year-Old Son Stunned NASCAR Fans: You’re Superman
She also reflected on the kind of father Kyle was to their children.
He was the dad who never missed a chance to be silly, race the kids around the neighborhood, wrap them in his arms, or stay up a little longer for one more book, one more question, one more moment.
“Nothing made him prouder than being Brexton and Lennix’s dad,” she added.
The Painful Day
Samantha acknowledged that revisiting old memories has been incredibly painful, but said those moments also remind her how fortunate their family was to have Kyle in their lives.
“Watching these memories hurts more than I can explain, but they also remind me how lucky we were to have him,” she wrote. Later in the post, she described the depth of the family’s grief.
Kyle, the kids, and I miss you every second of every day. Our hearts ache for you, but it’s more than that. Your absence is something we physically feel. Our bodies hurt from missing you, from reaching for someone who isn’t there, from loving someone we can’t hold anymore.
Samantha also vowed to keep Kyle’s memory alive for their children, saying, “I will keep telling your stories, sharing your laughs, and making sure Brexton and Lennix always know just how deeply they were loved by their dad.”
Read More: Kyle Busch’s Son Brexton Races for First Time Since His Dad’s Death
She ended the tribute with a simple message: “Happy Father’s Day. We love you and miss you more than words can say.”
NASCAR Continues to Honor Kyle Busch
Samantha’s Father’s Day tribute came one day after an emotional moment in the NASCAR world.
Richard Childress Racing, the team Kyle drove for in the NASCAR Cup Series, returned to Victory Lane for the first time since his death when Austin Hill won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
After the race, Hill revealed that he had been thinking about his late teammate during the closing laps. “I’m like, ‘Man, Kyle, if you’re watching this race, I could use some help here,’” Hill said.
He explained that a last-minute adjustment to the car seemed to change everything, saying, “And that exact lap that I asked about it, I just started cranking the front brake. … those last four laps, the car just came to life.”
After taking the checkered flag, Hill celebrated with a burnout next to a tribute painted on the track in Kyle’s honor.
One month after his death, tributes to Kyle continue to pour in from both his family and the racing community he left behind.
The History of NASCAR in 30 Stunning Photos
Ever since its inception in the late 1940s, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — better known as NASCAR — has been full incredible moments, history-defining wins and heart-pounding photo finishes. Keep reading to look back at some of the powerful images that tell NASCAR’s story.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
