Kyle Busch’s legacy will outlive him by decades, according to one team principal who worked with him. The 41-year-old legend suddenly passed away due to complications with pneumonia and sepsis. Busch’s legacy is already reshaping how the sport remembers its fallen. People in the industry have been coming forward with their stories about Busch, including Kaulig Racing’s Chris Rice, making an assertive statement about his legacy in comparison to Dale Earnhardt.

Kaulig Racing president recalled briefly working with Kyle Busch.

Rice, who lost his grandfather young, understood the Busch family’s grief. He reminisced that his late grandfather had given him advice: death wasn’t something to be feared. Instead, what’s waiting in the afterlife is ‘better’. The week before, Rice had talked to Kyle Busch and teased him after he won the Truck race.

Chris Rice told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: “We have those conversations, those race car drivers don’t forget how to drive. We just sometimes, as race teams, don’t get the race cars or race trucks where they need to be, for those guys to run fast. Had him for 5 races, and I say this, we never did a great job for Kyle. Started at the rear at least twice out of the 5 times he raced for us. We never really did a good job for Kyle, but I will say that Kyle did help us in our growth of Kaulig Racing.”

He continued, “I enjoyed my time talking to Kyle, having conversations off the race track, texting back and forth with Kyle. Didn’t have a relationship like Mike Verlander and everybody else had with him, but I enjoyed it. Kyle will be missed, but he’ll never be forgotten because he’s going to be like Dale Earnhardt. Don’t compare him to Dale Earnhardt, but I will say he will be like Dale Earnhardt, he’ll still be selling T-shirts 5 years down the road.”

Rice concluded, “He’ll still be doing things for this community, down the road. With heavy hearts, I’ll say this: we love all the Busch family, we are here for you, no matter what, as a community. 5 years down the road, whatever it is, call on us, call on Kaulig Racing. Whatever you guys need, we’re here for you. To all the Busch nation, Rowdy Nation, I think he called it. Our sympathies go out to you guys.”

Rice’s comment about equipment reflected Busch’s recent struggles, a winless streak that haunted his final years. Rice acknowledged that sometimes the winless streaks are not the drivers’ fault, but with the equipment. When Busch raced for them in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the best he could muster was 4th at Las Vegas.

Despite his recent winless streak, Busch was one of the greatest racers the sport has seen, and holds the record for both the O’Reilly Series at 102 wins and the Craftsman Truck Series with 69 wins. Chris Rice insisted that Kyle Busch will be sorely missed, and also made a bold Dale Earnhardt comparison.

Chris Rice also talked about Busch’s abilities in setting up his cars

To be honest, a racing driver’s job isn’t limited to just hopping in the car and driving fast. They are heavily involved with the development process, and Kyle Busch was no different. According to Rice, the 41-year-old helped the team tailor the car to his specifications, and his inputs greatly helped. As a matter of fact, he confessed that some of the changes that Busch demanded are still being used to this day.

Rice cited the example of one race in Watkins Glen, where Busch raced for them. After the team installed unfamiliar parts, Busch was surprisingly civil despite the error. He was known to have a temper and often got involved in scraps with rivals. But this time, Busch pointed out the issue calmly, and the team acted. After all, 200-win driver’s input carries weight.