Fighting through tears, Samantha Busch stood before a cheering crowd at Bowman Gray Stadium on Friday and thanked NASCAR fans for surrounding her family with love following the death of her husband, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Rare is the occasion when Mike Joy can stand alone and enjoy a hot dog while watching some short-track racing without being approached by fans for autographs and photos. That was the case Friday night at Bowman Gray Stadium for the legendary NASCAR broadcaster.

The NASCAR champion died at age 41 on May 21

Fans honor Kyle Busch’s legacy at Bowman Gray Stadium

AFTER KYLE BUSCH died, one NASCAR driver's wife had a question that brought her husband to tears. Busch, 41, could see the end of his career approaching and had a plan. He would transition to coaching his son,

Can't imagine the pain he's dealing with. It’s been 3 months today since we lost two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who passed away on May 21 following a battle with pneumonia that eventually progressed into sepsis.

Josh Berry admitted he didn’t have much hope of securing a Cup Series seat for next season. In June, Wood Brothers Racing announced that he would not return to the No.

The racing community will come together Friday afternoon at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina for the first-ever Kyle Busch Invitational. The races will honor the late NASCAR champion, who died in May from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.