When the green flag drops for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be driving a car that looks unmistakably like the one Kyle Busch once raced.
A Tribute in Paint
Stenhouse, who captured the 2023 Daytona 500, has chosen to honor his late rival by replicating Busch’s iconic livery for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event.
Busch died on May 21 after a bout of pneumonia that escalated into sepsis, a loss that sent shockwaves through the racing community.
The two drivers’ relationship had been strained for years, culminating in a heated exchange during the 2024 NASCAR All‑Star race that sparked a skirmish between their crews.
Despite that rivalry, Stenhouse has spoken openly about his respect for Busch’s skill behind the wheel and the impact he had on the sport.
Busch leaves behind a storied résumé: two Cup championships, 62 victories that place him ninth on the all‑time win list, and a record 69 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.
He also amassed 102 wins in the second‑tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, 22 of which came while his car carried the NOS Energy sponsorship.
Tributes to Busch have already been staged at the Coca‑Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500, and fans in Nashville are eagerly anticipating how the sport will celebrate his legacy on the track.
Stenhouse, now 26th in the current driver standings with just one top‑5 finish this season, hopes the gesture will resonate with supporters and keep Busch’s memory alive.
The tribute also shines a spotlight on Hyak Motorsports, the team backing Stenhouse, and its partnership with NOS Energy, a brand that has been a staple in Busch’s racing history.