(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

This weekend at Michigan International Speedway is very different than Richard Childress expected it to be.

Instead of announcing a contract extension for Kyle Busch, the longtime NASCAR owner talked to the press for the first time about the sudden, shocking death of the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who passed away May 21 from sepsis, which developed from a bout of bacterial pneumonia.

Childress, 80, said he and Busch spoke two nights before his death, just one day before the 41-year-old was hospitalized after he became unresponsive while testing in Chevrolet's racing simulator in Concord, N.C.

At the time of his death, Busch hadn't won a Cup race since a June 2023 victory at the Enjoy Illinois 300, but a recent crew chief change and a season-best eighth-place finish at Watkins Glen had the two in positive discussions about Busch -- who was in a contract year - returning to the No. 8 Chevrolet next year.

'He said, 'You give me cars like you gave me the last three weeks, I will make The Chase this year,'' Childress told reporters Saturday in Brookyln, Mich. 'We were that confident.'

Now, the team said they are holding the No. 8 car for Busch's 11-year-old son Brexton, even if he races for another team.

'Talking to Kyle at different times, knowing his plans and what he had in the future for Brexton and his family,' said Childress, who had recently been on hunting trips with the father and son and watched them race on a dirt track in the Charlotte area. 'The many things that we all could have done together -- that was probably the toughest part of this whole thing.'

Busch is also survived by his wife Samantha and 4-year-old daughter Lennix. He was also the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, 47.

'I just feel so bad for the family and the employees and everybody,' Childress said. 'But yeah, I mean, I haven't slept very good lately.'

Busch accrued a record 234 wins across NASCAR's top three series: 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series. He won a trucks race at Dover, Del., just six days before his death.

The Las Vegas native was the NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2015 and 2019. He never won the Daytona 500 but claimed the pole for the first time this year before finishing 15th. His biggest wins included the 2008 Southern 500, the 2015 and 2016 Brickyard 400 and 2019 Coca-Cola 600.

Childress said he believes Busch should be immediately named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which last month announced its 2027 inductees, including Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips, who are set to be officially inducted in a ceremony in January.

'Kyle will go down in history as one of the greatest race drivers that's ever been,' Childress said. 'His legacy is that he was a man that a lot of people thought he was tough to deal with, and that he wouldn't last long. He is a man that loves his sport. He loved it so much he wanted to see his family carry on in it. To see the enjoyment in Kyle's eyes watching his son race was just unbelievable.'

--Field Level Media