“We love you, KB!” Denny Hamlin Honors Kyle Busch After Milestone Win at Michigan

For the second race in a row Denny Hamlin proved he is the driver to beat in 2026, despite being 45 years old, as he started at the back just like in Nashville and finished P1 taking advantage of the superior pace of his No:11 Camry. It was the 63ed win of his Cup career, matching his ex-teammate Kyle Busch who passed away at the age of 41 a couple of weeks ago due to pneumonia.

At Nashville the veteran couldn’t give the special tribute he wished he could for the veteran, so he came prepared for the Michigan race. After the win, he did a burnout around the track with a flag that featured the No:18 (Busch’s JGR number) with the eight being in the stylized font used by RCR. It was a custom flag, honoring the late driver’s legacy with both the teams.

For Kyle. pic.twitter.com/wsRpizRtfh

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2026

The veteran was also seen wearing a special cap as well, making the day special for him. After winning the race, Denny Hamlin shared his love for the late racer via team radio saying, “We love you, KB!” On his post-race interview with Prime, he remembered the Kyle Busch family as well as Ned Jarrett, the original No:11 bada** driver who passed away due to natural causes mid-week.

I mean the offseason was rough for me, it was rough for the NASCAR family. We lost a lot of people. This week we lost Gentleman Ned, the original badass of the 11. We’re still thinking of Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix…Just an unbelievable feeling to be able to strap in every week, and I don’t take it for granted. This opportunity that I’m in, I just love we’re making the best of it.

Denny Hamlin said on Amazon Prime.

Denny Hamlin said preparations for his Kyle Busch tribute after winning Michigan began Monday, given there was a chance he might tie Busch on the all-time wins list this weekend. There was stuff to work through, including trademarks, but RCR allowed JGR to use the Busch stylized… pic.twitter.com/t52QWZk5i5

— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 8, 2026

Martin Truex Jr. really loves his ex-teammate Denny Hamlin’s Kyle Buch tribute

2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. was on the Prime Video broadcast booth, witnessing the historic moment. He had personal relationship with both, as they were teammates at JGR. The veteran admitted it was a special moment that raised the energy of the whole crowd.

It was special to see. You could just feel the energy. You could feel the crowd going crazy for that. Denny said it perfectly- a great tribute. Everybody is thinking about Samantha [Busch] and their family. What they’ve been through is just horrific. We’re all thinking about them, but man, Denny is just on fire. What can you do right now?

Martin Truex Jr. said via Prime broadcast.

In response, Corey LaJoie the co-broadcaster of MTJ also shared his thoughts on the unique moment. He highlighted how the victory after starting in the back and the burnout with the custom No:18 flag was a wholesome moment, the whole track cherished.

It’s a master of work. It’s a black belt, a jujitsu just playing with these guys, starting from the back now twice in a row. But I had goosebumps from my head to my feet watching that 11 car fly that 18 slash 8 Kyle Busch flag. Incredible sentiment from Denny to Kyle. I think it was wholesome for everybody to watch that whole entire burnout.

Corey LaJoie responded.

The veterans are on point with their assessment of the tribute, as the fans and the whole racing community will remember it for a long-time. It would be interesting see of Hamlin would continue to pay respect to Busch in the potential race wins ahead of him.

Also Read: Richard Childress Confirms the No:8 Chevy is Unconditionally Reserved for Kyle Busch’s Son