BRISTOL, Tenn. — Ty Gibbs has always been close to the Busch family, but he has taken on a larger role in Brexton Busch's life since the sudden passing of Kyle Busch at the age of 41.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has recognized that he can support the young man while sharing lessons learned dealing with tragedy in his own life. He has become what Samantha Busch has called a big brother.
Gibbs, who will race a Busch tribute scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway, is someone who lost his own father. Coy Gibbs passed away suddenly at the age of 49 in 2022, hours after his son won the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship.
"I just think for me, like being there for him for whatever he needs, obviously," Gibbs said on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "But like just being cool, we can be friends.
"I think the thing that sucks about people passing is people just want to talk about how much they feel bad for you. Like I just want to have a good time, especially I know Brexton does too. So yeah, people just don't really understand how to handle grief because they haven't ever gone through anything like that."
Samantha detailed the ways in which Gibbs has supported Brexton since Busch passed away. She explained in a now-expired Instagram Stories video that he has been around the family frequently while just being a positive influence.
"I can't even put into words how wonderful he has been to Brexton," Samantha said. "He's been like a big brother. He's been a source of comfort for him.
"...Ty's still young himself and he has come over, he's taken Brexton to lunch, he's rode karts around our neighborhood with him, he came and picked him up and took him to breakfast and took him to the track to race karts."
M&M's returns for one more race, and this scheme is a mosaic featuring moments from Kyle Busch's life and career. pic.twitter.com/Gx1O0LRxLr
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) September 18, 2026
This is something that Gibbs only plans on continuing in the coming years. Brexton has already started on the path to NASCAR while winning races in Micro Sprints and Legends cars.
The expectation is that he will only continue on this path while moving into the world of NASCAR. Richard Childress has even specifically said that the team will only bring back the No. 8 when Brexton is ready to take over the entry.
As he makes this journey, Gibbs will be along for the ride. He will continue to work in that big brother role while offering whatever advice he can about the sport, grief, and other topics.
"He's got a lot of great people that he can be around too," Gibbs added. "So you know, I just obviously... I want to be in the background.
"I don't want to be frontline of everything. I don't need followers, or I don't need people to tell me I'm a great person. I don't want any of that. Just want to be there as a friend for him."
