Daniel Suarez breaks down in tears and dedicates NASCAR win to Kyle Busch

Andrew Gamble Mon, May 25, 2026 at 8:43 PM UTC

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Daniel Suarez was overwhelmed with emotion after capturing his third win of his Cup Series win (Image: Amazon Prime Video)

Daniel Suarez fought through tears as he dedicated his Coca-Cola 600 victory to the late Kyle Busch.

On Sunday, Suarez was declared the winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He ultimately benefited from a crucial pit call, then caught a break as he won the rain-shortened race.

The 34-year-old led all 17 laps after the lap 356 pit stop. There was a caution and brief delay for rain at lap 362, but after racing returned, the weather halted the race on lap 373. NASCAR officials eventually called with 40 miles of the scheduled 600 remaining.

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Suarez celebrated by pointing up at the sky in honor of his late rival and mentor, while he also celebrated with Busch's trademark bow. Ross Chastain and Layne Riggs, who won the O'Reilly Auto Parts and Truck series races over the weekend, celebrated the same way as their own tributes to Busch.

Emotions were high in Charlotte after Busch tragically died at 41 on Thursday, leaving behind his wife, Samantha, and two children. His passing is all the more shocking as it came just days after the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion secured a Craftsman Truck Series victory for Spire Motorsports.

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Suarez emulated Busch's iconic signature celebration, bowing after the win (Image: GETTY)

Widely regarded as one of the best drivers in the history of the sport, NASCAR paid tribute to Busch with an emotional ceremony. His wife, Samantha, and son, Brexton, were in attendance while Kurt Busch laid down eight flowers on the infield No. 8 in honor of his late brother.

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Suarez was overcome with emotion as he burst into tears moments after being declared the winner of the Coca-Cola 600, which is his third Cup Series victory. He said: "It's been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special.

"I was doing this for Kyle, for (his wife) Samatha, for (his children) Brexton and Lennix, and for all of his family."

Suarez, conducting his interview with a Busch No. 8 hat on, added: "This one is special. Every win is special. But definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This one is for him.

"If it wasn't for Kyle, I wasn't going to be an Xfinity champion, I wasn't going to have my shot in the Cup Series, and to be able to win this race for him is unbelievable."

Suarez shares a long history with Busch. He drove 26 Truck Series races in 2015 and 2016 for Kyle Busch Motorsports, clinching one win. won one of those races.

When Suarez reached the Cup Series in 2017, Busch was one of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. They were teammates again in 2018, before Suarez left for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019.

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, May 31.

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Source: “AOL Sports”