Denny Hamlin dedicated his 63rd career Cup Series victory to the late Kyle Busch, tying them for ninth on the all-time wins list. Hamlin's poignant radio message and black flag tribute came as NASCAR mourns Busch's sudden death from sepsis complications, alongside other tragedies including a fatal plane crash and Hamlin's own loss of his father.
Denny Hamlin secured a victory in a recent NASCAR Cup Series race, dedicating the win to his late friend and fellow driver Kyle Busch . Over the radio during his victory lap, Hamlin, 45, exclaimed, We love you, KB.
He also held up a black flag bearing Busch's No. 18 after exiting his car to celebrate. This win marked Hamlin's 63rd career Cup Series victory, tying him for ninth place on the all-time list with Busch, who passed away unexpectedly on May 21 at age 41. According to a death certificate obtained, Busch died from a chain of events that started with pneumonia, progressed to sepsis, and ultimately led to fatal complications.
The NASCAR community has been mourning Busch's loss, with many drivers and team members sharing tributes and grappling with the sudden tragedy. Hamlin spoke about the numerous hardships the NASCAR community has faced in recent months.
In addition to Busch's death, former NASCAR Cup Series winner and his family perished in a plane crash in December 2025. Hamlin himself experienced personal loss when his father, Dennis Hamlin, died from injuries sustained in a house fire. We lost a lot of people, Hamlin said. This week we lost Gentleman Ned, you know, the original bad*** of the 11.
We're still thinking of Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix. He acknowledged the difficulty of the offseason, stating, Everyone has to go through the grieving process. There were a lot of different things throughout the offseason that were really tough. Ultimately, I'm still a competitor.
Denny Hamlin's fiancée, Jordan Fish, also addressed the tragedy on social media, expressing support nearly a month after Dennis Hamlin's passing. The impact of Kyle Busch's death extended to his family, particularly his 11-year-old son Brexton. One day after Busch's passing, Brexton changed his profile photos on Instagram and Facebook to an image of his father hugging him on a racetrack, captured moments after a race. The heartfelt tribute highlighted the close bond between them.
Meanwhile, Hamlin emphasized that his motivation remains rooted in his love for competition and racing. This is my life's work, he remarked, noting that tragedies do not change who he is. He also reflected on the family-oriented nature of NASCAR, saying, My family obviously had so much sacrifice to help me get here. Now that I've grown, generations of Hamlins are following me.
It's great Mom gets to see this. Mary Lou, Hamlin's mother, was heard cheering as she celebrated with her son, underscoring the emotional depth of the victory amid loss
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