Reds pitcher recalls heartwarming Kyle Busch visit after NASCAR icon's death
Reds pitcher recalls heartwarming Kyle Busch visit after NASCAR icon's death
Matthew Neschis Mon, May 25, 2026 at 7:50 PM UTC
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Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch and his son Brexton stopped by the Reds' spring training last March (Image: Getty)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott fondly recalled the time Kyle Busch visited the club's spring training facility before his untimely passing.
The NASCAR community was left mourning last Thursday when Busch's family revealed that the Richard Childress Racing driver had died at the age of 41. It was subsequently announced that his death resulted from pneumonia that had advanced to sepsis.
Busch's passing reverberated across the sporting world, with droves of athletes from all corners of professional sports offering their condolences. Abbott - who grew up watching NASCAR and remains an avid motorsports fan - swiftly reached out to the two-time Cup Series champion's family to pay his respects.
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"At first I didn't believe it," Abbott told Express U.S. Sports ahead of Monday's matchup between the Reds and New York Mets at Citi Field. "Then all the posts come out and it becomes surreal at that moment."
Upon learning of Busch's untimely death, Abbott's mind immediately went back to March 11, 2025, when the NASCAR icon and his son Brexton stopped by the Reds' complex in Goodyear, Arizona, to take part in batting practice.
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During Busch's guest appearance, he spoke with several members of the Reds - including Abbott, who later got him to sign an M&Ms jacket at a Cup Series race in Phoenix. "We talked about some situations," the left-hander explained. "Coming down and he's in second, but he needs to make a move first - all of it to do with NASCAR. And I thought that was pretty cool, because we really only hear about [the] baseball perspective on everything."
As Brexton and Busch took hacks in the cage, Abbott relished the opportunity to watch the father-son duo have fun in an unfamiliar setting. "Brexton really didn't know a lot about baseball. I think he'd just been around racing," he said.
"Getting to just watch him in the cage, have fun, smile, and I think give them an avenue of different ability to have fun. I mean, all they know is truck racing, dirt track racing and all that kind of stuff. So just to see him outside having fun with his kid was kind of cool."
Andrew Abbott fondly recalled meeting Kyle Busch twice in Arizona (Image: Getty)
The fun family outing to spring training was a stark contrast to the heartbreaking tributes held during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Busch's brother Kurt honored his younger sibling by arranging eight flowers around the infield No. 8, the number that became synonymous with NASCAR's all-time winningest driver.
Busch's wife Samantha and their two children, Brexton and Lennix, additionally appeared at Charlotte Motor Speedway to participate in a moment of silence honoring the Las Vegas native. "We had a rain cancellation yesterday, so I got to watch a little bit of the [race]," Abbott said. "The memorial that they did for him at the beginning I thought was fantastic. I hope that they put him in the [NASCAR] Hall of Fame based off how many wins and how many points he's had in his entire career sooner rather than later."
Though the racetrack and the baseball diamond are worlds apart, Abbott said Busch's passing has influenced the way he approaches his work on the mound. "I think it [is] a good lesson to tell us how ... short the opportunity is to be in the sport," he said. "Smile and enjoy it. Take advantage of what the opportunity provides you, because like he said, you never know when your last one is going to be. And I think you take that to heart and use that."
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Source: “AOL Sports”
