Richard Childress was very close to Kyle Busch, who had been driving for his team, RCR, since 2023. And it is understandable why the former was moved when the two-time Cup Series champion passed away last week.

Ever since Busch's passing, Childress has not appeared in front of the media to share his thoughts on the unfortunate event. Moreover, the 80-year-old wants more time before facing questions, as shared in a recent statement by RCR.

The NASCAR team announced that Childress will address the media at Michigan on Saturday, June 6. This means he will either skip the race weekend at Nashville on May 29-31 or be present, but skip his media commitments.

"Richard Childress Racing appreciates the outpouring of love and support. While his impact on RCR is undeniable, Kyle Busch’s far-reaching influence transcends the sport and will endure for generations," the RCR statement read, as shared by Jeff Gluck on X.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, the entire Busch family, the fans, and racers who are suffering. Richard Childress will be available to members of the media on Saturday, June 6, at 12 Noon at Michigan International Speedway. We respectfully ask for privacy for the Busch family and everyone at RCR until that time," it further added.

From being a race team owner to being Kyle Busch's mentor, Richard Childress built an amicable relationship with "Rowdy."

And now with Busch's passing, Mr. Childress has not only lost a friend, but also a phenomenal racing talent, and is expected to face business development issues as the team looks for a permanent replacement.

Richard Childress Racing Suspends Use Of No. 8 On Its Car

Following Kyle Busch's demise, Richard Childress Racing decided to suspend the use of the No. 8 until his son, Brexton Busch, is ready to step up to NASCAR. Sharing the statement, RCR wrote from its official X account:

"Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond. Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."

At Charlotte, Austin Hill replaced Busch in the No. 33 car and secured a 27th-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600.

Kyle Busch's son, Brexton, is currently 11 years old and races in the Late Models division. He is also a Sprint car expert and is regarded as one of the top young talents in American motorsports.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Yask Kotak