As I was getting ready to call the 59th District softball championship at Pikeville High School, I was making my usual rounds and saying hello to everyone. It was a normal, misty evening at the softball field.

I had not checked my phone. About 10 minutes before first pitch, I got a call asking, “Have you seen the news?”

I did not want to hear what came next.

How was it possible? Kyle Busch was NASCAR’s Superman for so many years. You loved to hate him, and throughout much of the late 2000s and 2010s, if he was on the entry list, you knew you were in for a battle.

I grew up going to Bristol Motor Speedway, which meant I got to see the No. 18 parked in victory lane pretty often. Over the years, across different series and tracks, I would guess I saw Kyle Busch win around 20 times in person.

Throughout his career, he evolved from the young hot shot villain into the seasoned veteran many fans eventually developed a soft spot for.

More than 200 wins across NASCAR’s top three series, two Cup Series championships and a list of accomplishments longer than a grocery list made Busch a once in a lifetime talent. He always let his personality show and never left anyone wondering what he was thinking, no matter what people thought in return.

He ruffled feathers along the way, but that was just who he was: KFB.

Over the years, we also watched Busch grow into a loving husband and father. Those may have been his favorite roles of all. He followed his son, Brexton, racing all around the country and most recently welcomed his daughter, Lennix.

He and his wife, Samantha, also started the Bundle of Joy Fund to help families struggling with infertility. Beneath the rough around the edges personality was not only a great race car driver, but also a genuinely caring person.

On May 21, 2026, the NASCAR community lost one of its greatest figures.

Many people will spend time wondering why and thinking about what could have been. But in the end, Busch left everyone with a reminder after his win last Friday in Dover, Delaware: “You never know when the last one is.”

It is a reminder to live every day to the fullest and love the people around you because life can be fragile.

Whether you booed him, cheered for him, called him The Candy Man, KFB, Rowdy or anything in between, we can all agree he was one of the greatest drivers ever to grace NASCAR.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Samantha, Lennix and Brexton.

Thank you for the memories, Kyle.

We will see you again one day, Rowdy.