Samantha Busch pens emotional Brickyard 400 post, missing late husband NASCAR's Kyle Busch
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INDIANAPOLIS — The Brickyard 400 was where Kyle and Samatha Busch's love story began, where Samantha had a chance meeting at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a "cute, kind of shy boy" 19 years ago who "would turn into the love of my life, my best friend, the father of my children, and almost twenty years of memories together."
Every year, the Brickyard was their special celebration, remembering two "kids" who had no idea what a beautiful life they had ahead of them, Samantha posted to Facebook this week.
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But this year, Indy had an entirely different meaning for her.
"This past weekend was the Indianapolis race, and with it came a flood of emotions. It’s where Kyle and I met, where our story began, and every year when Indy rolled around we celebrated it in our own special little way," Samantha wrote. "Sometimes it was a nice dinner, other years we’d walk the track together, reminiscing about those two kids who met there all those years ago."
Kyle Busch died in May at 41 years old, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who was set to continue his Cup season and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway the upcoming weekend until his family announced he was hospitalized with a severe illness.
"Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch," NASCAR posted in an online statement May 21. "A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans."
Since Kyle's death, Samantha has been chronicling her family's tough moments.
In her Brickyard memory, Samantha posted photos of her and Kyle, taken later in 2007.
"And looking at them now, I see two kids completely caught up in the excitement of falling in love, with absolutely no idea what was ahead of us," she worte. "We grew up together. We built a life together. Through every season, every challenge, and every dream, we just kept choosing each other. And somehow, through all those years, that wild love never faded.
"I look at these pictures and wish I could tell that 21-year-old girl to soak up every single second. She never could have imagined how beautiful our life would become, or that one day she’d be wishing for just one more day with you. I’ll love you forever."
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Samantha Busch pens emotional Brickyard 400 post, missing late husband NASCAR's Kyle Busch