He finally got it.
Last night, the NASCAR Award’s banquet took place in Miami, which honored the now-champion Kyle Larson, and of course, they took time to honor the late Kyle Busch, who passed away in May at just 41 years old.
It was extra special in that Kyle Busch is the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver, joining Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers to ever win the award posthumously. Chase Elliott had won the award every year between 2018 and 2025, but he removed himself from the ballot this year so that Kyle could have a real shot at winning it, as it’s the last time his name will be on the ballot.
The move mirrors the one made by his dad, Bill Elliott, who removed himself from the ballot back in 2001 in the year that Dale Earnhardt passed away. The senior Elliott had won the award 10 consecutive times prior to 2001, but Earnhardt took home the award that year for the first and only time following his death. Elliott would go on to win it again in 2002 before Earnhardt Jr. began his streak, winning Most Popular Driver 15 times in a row until his retirement in 2017.
And on the red carpet for the NASCAR Award’s banquet in Miami, his wife Samantha spoke about just how much he wanted to win this award, saying she wanted to cry just thinking about it, adding how much it meant to their kids, Brexton and Lennix, for their dad to win:
“Oh, want to cry thinking about it. He wanted that award so bad for so many years, and I’m so thrilled that I got it. I think the coolest thing about it is just how the other drivers came together in order to rally their fans behind them. I think a lot of people see, they’re competitors, or they don’t like each other, but at the end of the day, NASCAR is a big family.
Just seeing Chase and Larson and all of them be like, ‘No, give this to Kyle,’ I know he’s up there being like, I finally got it, because we all know Kyle. I think also, for the kids it’s really special. When I told Brexton i was like ‘Hey, dad got it.’ He was like, ‘No way,’ and he was really pumped, so that’s exciting for them.”
She later took the stage during the banquet to accept it on his behalf, talking about how much he loved racing:
“First of all, I’d like to say congrats to Kyle and Katelyn on your championship, and thank you guys so much for everything that you’ve done for our family. There’s been so much love for Kyle from this sport over the past several months, and I wish more than anything that he could be here to see it.
He gave so much of his life to racing, and I know it would mean the world to him to see the impact he had on NASCAR and the people who loved it.Kyle never changed who he was to make people like him. He was passionate, outspoken and fiercely competitive.
He was Rowdy through and through. Whether you cheered for him or booed him, he gave you something to make noise about, and he loved that. To Kyle, that passion was what made this sport so special. Seeing that same passion bring everyone together to honor him has been incredible.”
She thanked Chase for removing himself, and all of the drivers who encouraged their fans to vote for Kyle, and she told the audience how much it meant to Kyle to see families and kids at the track every week enjoying the races:
“I especially want to thank Chase Elliott and all the drivers who encouraged their fans to vote for him. That respect from the drivers he raced against means so much.
And to the fans, I wish you knew just how much he meant to him. He loved packed grandstands, meeting families and seeing kids light up when he signed an autograph. He knew you spent your hard-earned money and time watching him race and he never took that for granted. He loved racing, and he loved that you did too.”
Of course, it meant the most to Brexton and Lennix, and Samantha says it has meant the world for them to see how much their dad meant to other people too:
“What makes this award extra special to me is what it gives to Brexton and Lennix. They miss their dad in ways that I can’t even begin to explain, but through this, they get to see another side of the dad that they love so much. How he made people feel, how much he meant to others, and just how special he really was.
And as their mom, that means everything to me. Thank you for this incredible honor and for continuing to show Kyle so much love.”
Lastly, she thanked the fans, saying:
“There was no Rowdy without the fans, and there will never be another Rowdy because there is truly no one else like Kyle. Thank you.”
That’s the truth…
It was a beautiful speech, and while no doubt a tough night for the Busch family, a very special one which no doubt meant a lot to their family during the hardest year of their lives: