Polk County commissioner and former NASCAR driver Rick Wilson reflects on Kyle Busch's racing legacy

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 11: Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo

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BARTOW, Fla. - Fans of Kyle Busch are reacting to the tragic and shocking news of his death across Central Florida.

In Polk County, a county commissioner and former NASCAR racer talked about his experience meeting Busch and his rise to stardom.

The backstory:

Before becoming a Polk County commissioner, Rick Wilson pursued a racing career that included 13 years as a NASCAR driver.

Wilson’s first race was in 1981.

What they're saying:

"Started out just as anybody else — short-track racing around Florida, and was very successful," Wilson said. "Had a good career and enjoyed it. It's a dream you work hard for, but I was there for quite a few years. And when I drove for Richard Petty when he retired, the next year, I retired right after him."

Courtesy: Rick Wilson

"He was good for the sport"

Wilson met NASCAR champ Kyle Busch when Busch was young and trying to break into the sport. It may have been at the Lakeland International Speedway, which is no longer around.

Wilson says Busch was instrumental in getting NASCAR to where it is today.

"He had a humongous fan following, and he was good for the sport," Wilson said. "Not being around him a lot, but seeing him a lot on the track... he could drive on the track, and if you did something, he'd tell you off the track. That was like back in our days." 

Busch died Thursday at 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness, though no cause of death has been given. 

Busch was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and a future Hall of Famer. According to FOX News, his most recent win came last Friday in Deleware at Dover Motor Speedway, when he led 147 laps in a dominating Truck Series victory. 

NASCAR family mourns loss

Big picture view:

Wilson says NASCAR is a tight-knit organization where everyone is family.

"It's how we are and always have been," Wilson said. "We have to lean on each other. Not only the drivers but the crews also. Because we're on the road so much, that's our family when we're basically not at home, so it's a tragedy when you lose anybody." 

A great driver, a great person was lost, though Busch will forever be remembered as one of the sport's all-time greats.