Donovan Strauss will pilot a tribute paint scheme honoring the late Kyle Busch in this weekend’s CARS Tour race at Langley Speedway.
Strauss grew up a Kyle Busch fan, and in the wake of Busch’s passing, shared several memories of meeting Kyle as a kid while decked out in M&M’s gear.
Kyle was my childhood hero, “ Strauss said in a Facebook post the day of Kyle’s passing “He was the guy little 7 year old me would spend Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday afternoons cheering for, instead of playing outside with the other kids. Sometimes I’d even fake being sick if there was a Monday race so I didn’t have to go to school. I believe it was because he didn’t care that he was liked, he was always raw and himself and that’s why I had a passion for him. His determination to win is what inspired me.”
Honoring KB.
Proud to bring the 51 back this weekend with the @CARSTour at @LangleySpeedway, with this iconic blue and orange.
This means everything. Kyle’s had a major impact on my childhood and my life in general and I plan on honoring his legacy going forward in my career. pic.twitter.com/cZgBhes4i0
The scheme Strauss will run on Saturday harkens back to Kyle Busch’s NOS Energy Drink paint scheme, which he drove to countless victories in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Kyle also ran the paint scheme with the No. 51 adorned on the side of his Super Late Model during his first Snowball Derby victory in 2009.
“This means everything,” Strauss said on Wednesday “Kyle’s had a major impact on my childhood and my life in general and I plan on honoring his legacy going forward in my career.”
This is the first CARS Tour race since Busch’s death. Strauss will be the first one to run a tribute scheme to the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. His AK Performance Late Model Stock will also be renumbered from its usual No. 98 to No. 51. in Busch’s honor.
