Late NASCAR star Kyle Busch captures NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award
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The late Kyle Busch, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who died in May, was named the 2026 National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver on Tuesday.Read more trending news Busch, who was 41 when he died on May 21, received the posthumous honor, tabulated through fan voting, during the NASCAR’s season-ending awards ceremony in Miami, according to NASCAR.com.The driver’s widow, Samantha Busch, accepted the award on behalf of her husband, The Athletic reported. It is awarded by the National Motorsports Press Association.“There was no Rowdy without the fans.” @SamanthaBusch takes the stage to accept the Most Popular Driver Award. https://t.co/75cYJAyjS1 NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 11, 2026 NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell acknowledged Kyle Busch to start the evening and directly addressed his widow, who was sitting next to seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the audience. The Busches have two children, 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lenn