After nearly three weeks away from the track, Brexton Busch returned with a lot more than an expectation of a good result. The 11-year-old son of late NASCAR champion Kyle Busch competed in the opening rounds of the CookOut Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week. It was an emotional moment when fans watched the kid climb back into his familiar No. 18 car.

He ended it with a sixth-place finish on Monday and a runner-up result on Tuesday. And mother Samantha couldn’t have been prouder.

“Watching Brexton back at the track is both heartbreaking and beautiful all at once because there are moments when I catch a glimpse of Kyle in him, the same determination, the same passion, the same spark, and for a second it feels like a piece of him is still right here with us,” she wrote in an Instagram post, while also sharing pictures with her kids.

“These moments are incredibly hard, but they also remind me that Kyle’s story isn’t over. It lives on through the dreams he inspired and the two children he loved more than anything.

“In the hospital, I made Kyle a promise. I promised him that I would do everything I could to help our children pursue their dreams no matter what. For Brexton, that dream is racing. It wasn’t a dream Kyle chose for him. It was something they shared,” she wrote, detailing how the father-son duo would spend hours talking about cars, practicing, and bonding over their shared dream.

They spent countless hours talking about race cars, working together, dreaming together, and building a bond around something they both genuinely loved. Racing is what lights Brexton up, and as long as it’s the dream in his heart, I’ll be right there beside him, cheering him on every step of the way.

At Charlotte, Brexton was seen racing his neon green No. 18. Every motorsport fan would know the significance of it. It’s the same number Kyle Busch won his two NASCAR Cup Series championships with.

This was Brexton’s first race after Kyle Busch’s passing. And that made it all the more emotional for Samantha.

“And if one day his dreams take him somewhere else, that’s okay too,” she wrote. “And if Lennix [daughter] wants to get behind the wheel (we just bought her a kart for her 4th bday), it won’t be the same as having Kyle by her side, but we will do our absolute best.

“Every time we get to the track, we’re reminded that a piece of our team is missing. The person who should be standing beside us isn’t there. That part is heartbreaking. But it’s also where we feel closest to him, surrounded by the memories, the people, and the dreams he helped build.”

Brexton’s first set of races back showed exactly why that promise matters. During Monday’s Young Lions feature, he started 13th, avoided an early multi-car incident, and fought through the field to finish sixth.

One next evening, he looked poised for a win. Brexton led much of the race and carried the lead into the closing corners before Landon Thrasher completed a last-lap pass, leaving him with a hard-fought second-place finish. The young driver later reflected on the result himself.

“6th & 2nd in my first races back,” Brexton wrote on Instagram. “Felt really good to get racing again.”

His Legends car reminded people of his father, and it wasn’t just because of the name Busch on it. Brexton’s car featured “Rowdy 1985-2026” and also the No. 51, which was his father’s number in the Truck Series and Legends cars.

Kyle Busch’s legacy continues through the foundation he built with Samantha Busch

While Brexton has a part of Kyle Busch’s legacy on the racetrack, Samantha carries on with another mission they built together off the track.

After his passing, the Bundle of Joy Fund has become a major focus for both the Busch family and the NASCAR community.

The foundation helps families struggling with infertility by providing IVF grants through partnered fertility clinics. Since its creation, the program has awarded 178 grants worth more than $2.3 million.

Those grants have directly contributed to the births of 111 babies, with additional families currently expecting.

Support for the foundation has grown hugely in recent weeks. Many fans have made tribute donations in amounts of $8 and $18, honoring the racing numbers Kyle became known for throughout his career.

Now, as Samantha guides Brexton and Lennix through life without their father, she is continuing both promises she made to Kyle. One is helping their children follow their dreams. The other is ensuring that a foundation built to create families keeps changing lives for years to come.