CONCORD, N.C. — Sunday evening's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will unfortunately make NASCAR history. It will be the first race in decades without the surname of Busch or Earnhardt in the field.
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The reason for the absence is the sudden death of Kyle Busch, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 41. He had been scheduled to drive the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, but that entry is no longer in the field. Austin Hill will drive the No. 33 in its place.
Dale Jr. remembers his friend Kyle Busch. pic.twitter.com/88wWCWK2cX
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 24, 2026
As a result, this will mark the first Coca-Cola 600 (World 600) since the 1977 season that did not have a member of these Hall of Fame families. Dale Earnhardt Sr. competed in the crown jewel race in 1975 and 1976, but his missed 1977 before returning in 1978.
Earnhardt then competed in the Coca-Cola 600 every season until his death in the 2001 Daytona 500. He won the crown jewel race three times.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his debut in the 1999 Coca-Cola 600. He returned for the crown jewel race in 2000 and competed in it every single season until his retirement in 2017. He has remained active in the sport since walking away, but he has done so in his role as a broadcaster and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series team owner.
The Busch streak started with Kurt Busch. He made his first start in the crown jewel race in 2001, his first full-time season in the Cup Series.
Kurt then competed in the Coca-Cola 600 21 times. He won the race in 2010 while driving for Team Penske. Kurt's final Coca-Cola 600 took place in 2022, mere weeks before a crash at Pocono Raceway ended his full-time career.
The younger Busch made his debut in the race in his rookie season in 2004. He competed in the race 19 times, and he won the 2018 race in a dominant performance. He led 377 of the 400 laps.
Now, however, the Coca-Cola 600 will take place without a Busch or Earnhardt in the field as the racing industry continues to move forward after a tragic week.
But the industry will certainly move forward because that is what Busch would have wanted.
"When you look at what minimal conversations did take place between RCR, ourselves, family, it was Kyle Busch would probably be pretty pissed off if we didn't race," NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell said on Friday.
"So we're going to honor his memory and make sure people know what he was all about."
