With the NASCAR community facing a heavy and emotional past few days, both fans and drivers took time to honor the devastating loss of Kyle Busch throughout this weekend’s races.
Prior to his tragic passing this past Thursday, May 21, the 41-year-old driver announced that he would unfortunately be missing two Memorial Day weekend races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Coca-Cola 600. At the latter, country music star Brad Paisley paid homage to the two-time cup series champion during the pre-race concert, performing his 2005 hit, “Where I Get Where I’m Going.”
Safe to say there was not a dry eye in the audience as Paisley strummed this absolutely heart-wrenching track from his Time Well Wasted album, written about the experience of stepping foot into heaven. Released as the second single from the project alongside none other than Dolly Parton, Paisley announced before his solo rendition, “I didn’t think I’d have to play this song for this reason today. Love ya Kyle.”
The bone-chilling performance in light of Busch’s passing, following a case of severe pneumonia that developed into sepsis, hit extra hard with the audience cheering as Paisley sang the lyrics, “when I get where I’m going, well, there’ll be only happy tears. I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years.”
Oh, and the real cherry on top to add to the tears is the fact that in the original now 16-year-old music video at around the 2:35 minute mark, Dale Earnhardt Sr’s wife, Teresa, can be seen posing next to a portrait of her late husband, honoring the No.3 NASCAR legend. Marking one of the greatest losses since Earnhardt’s 2001 passing, during the Sunday, May 24 race, the track also displayed a remembrance billboard for Busch, with fans holding up eight fingers for the “Rowdy” driver, and winner Daniel Suarez dedicating his 27-lap victory to the late champion.