The whole NASCAR fraternity is reeling from the shock of Kyle Busch’s passing at the age of 41. But few would feel the weight of the loss as Richard Childress does. 

Childress was standing next to the Busch family right through the ceremonies at the Charlotte race. The loss is expected to bring back memories for him, as Busch is not the first driver he has lost to tragedy.

Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress built their NASCAR journey together. When Earnhardt joined forces with Richard Childress Racing, it was still a one-car operation struggling to survive and remain competitive. The driver and owner built a legacy with multiple championship crowns and iconic race wins. 

Earnhardt was a Richard Childress driver to death. That is exactly why Kyle Busch’s loss would be much heavier for Childress than most in NASCAR. Kevin Harvick spoke about Childress on his Happy Hour podcast, thinking about what he must be going through. 

Harvick added, “There’s not a better person out there than Richard Childress, and unfortunately, he’s having to deal with this all again.”

After Busch’s sudden passing, Childress made an announcement, retiring the #8. RCR made it clear that the number will remain retired unless Brexton Busch wants to use it when he gets to the Cup Series. 

Harvick Reflects on Rivalry with Busch

Harvick and Busch competed against each other 933 times. Harvick recalled that it was one of those rivalries that got him going and kept him wanting to be a better performer. 

Harvick said, “The thing I enjoyed the most was beating, and the thing that I know that he enjoyed the most was beating me, and it was a cat and mouse game for a long time because there were truck teams and businesses and things involved.”

Kevin Harvick Inc. came up before Kyle Busch Motorsports, and the two teams were just as competitive as the drivers. Harvick said that it was probably the best thing to be at loggerheads with someone like Busch because they ended up pushing each other. 

“Probably the best thing that happened in my career was I had a competitor that wouldn’t back down like Kyle did, and it made us better, made me a better driver, made me a better owner, teammate, and all the things that come with it from that competition. It made you better in every level, but there wasn’t anything more intense than the rivalry; that wasn't fake; there was nothing fake about it.”

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Ankita Yadav