Full Breakdown
Ross Chastain Wins Rain-Shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – First NASCAR Event After Kyle Busch’s Death
5/24/2026, 9:21:23 PM
Rain-Shortened Charlotte Race Marks First Competition Since Kyle Busch’s Passing
On Saturday night the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Charbroil 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was halted after 91 laps of the scheduled 200-lap distance. A four-hour rain delay, followed by dense fog and an oil spill, forced officials to end the event at the conclusion of Stage 2, making the race official under the rule book. Ross Chastain, driving the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, was declared the winner after leading the final laps.
Background: Kyle Busch’s Death and Immediate Impact
Kyle Busch, a 41-year-old NASCAR Cup Series driver for Richard Childress Racing, died on Thursday. His family said medical evaluations confirmed severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. The tragedy cast a somber tone over the weekend, prompting a moment of silence before the race and prompting many teams to display Busch’s No. 8 decals and “Rowdy” stickers.
Timeline of Key Events
- Thursday – Kyle Busch’s death announced.
- 5 p.m. ET (Saturday) – Race scheduled to start; qualifying cancelled due to rain.
- Lap 34 – Red flag for rain; race held under red-flag conditions for 4 h 21 m 59 s.
- ~10 p.m. ET – Restart under heavy fog; multiple cautions for oil and low visibility.
- Lap 90 – End of Stage 2; race declared official and Chastain awarded the win.
Data & Statistics
- Scheduled distance: 200 laps (300 mi).
- Completed laps: 91 (per USA Today, YardBarker, SportsKeeda) – some reports list 109 laps, creating a discrepancy.
- Lead laps: Chastain led 28 of the 91 laps.
- Cautions: 5 cautions, including a fog-related caution and an oil-spill caution on Lap 72.
- Weather: Rain, mist, and fog reduced visibility; track surface was wet for most of the event.
Official Statements & Responses
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell called Busch “no doubt, first ballot Hall of Famer.” Richard Childress Racing distributed black-and-white autographed No. 8 signage to every team and placed a Busch decal on the scoring pylon. Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of JR Motorsports, left the venue during the rain delay but returned for the restart.
Criticism & Opposition
Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love criticized NASCAR’s handling of the race, stating, “I’m mad, right? I think it’s a complete joke, handling it how (NASCAR) handled it.” He later reflected that “there’s a lot of hurt people right now, and this week’s just taught us that there are things so much bigger than racing.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “ “I think racing is the best thing we can do.” — Ross Chastain, driver
- “I didn’t know what I was going to do. And we had conversations about, do we smash the watermelon or not? We were very aware and mourning with everybody. The bow I did was in the most respectful way of showmanship to one of the greatest drivers I’ve ever raced against, and to do it as a nod to him.” — Ross Chastain
- “I’m mad, right? I think it’s a complete joke, handling it how (NASCAR) handled it. … Then I kind of realized, if this week has taught us anything, this all doesn’t matter as much as we think it does, right? There’s things way more important than a trophy,” — Jesse Love, driver
- “There's a lot of hurt people right now, and this week's just taught us that there are things so much bigger than racing," Love said.” — Jesse Love
- “Moreover, Brad Keselowski has urged the sanctioning body to add Busch to the Hall of Fame Class of 2027.” — Brad Keselowski, driver
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact lap count at race termination: USA Today, YardBarker, and SportsKeeda report 91 laps, while other outlets (e.g., Kickin’ the Tires) cite 109 laps. No source provides a definitive explanation for the variance, leaving the official lap total ambiguous.
What’s Next
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series moves to Nashville Superspeedway next Saturday. On Sunday, Austin Hill will drive Busch’s renumbered Cup car in the Coca-Cola 600, while the postponed Craftsman Truck Series race at Charlotte remains to be rescheduled. Teams are expected to continue honoring Busch throughout the weekend’s remaining events.
