{"id":26981,"date":"2026-05-28T20:21:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T20:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=26981"},"modified":"2026-05-28T20:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T20:21:17","slug":"one-day-before-kyle-busch-was-gone-dale-earnhardt-jr-was-still-texting-him-about-racing-not-a-goodbye-not-a-final-message-filled-with-warning-just-two-racers-talking-about-a-car-a-number","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=26981","title":{"rendered":"ONE DAY BEFORE KYLE BUSCH WAS GONE\u2026 DALE EARNHARDT JR. WAS STILL TEXTING HIM ABOUT RACING. Not a goodbye. Not a final message filled with warning. Just two racers talking about a car, a number, and a plan they thought they still had time to make real. Dale Jr. later shared that he and Kyle had been texting about getting together so Busch could bring his seat over for a late model car. They were discussing the CARS Tour, the scheme, and which number Kyle would run. Then Kyle said something that hit Dale Jr. differently: \u201cThe Dale Jr. 8.\u201d For NASCAR fans, that number meant history. For Dale Jr., it meant something personal. And for Kyle to choose it made the moment feel even bigger. But no one knew those messages would become their last. After years of rivalry, tension, and finally reconciliation, the two had started finding a different kind of respect for each other. Now, that final exchange feels less like a racing plan\u2026 And more like one last glimpse of the friendship they were just beginning to build"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"post-38479\" class=\"post-38479 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-uncategorized321312d\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"post-header\">\n<p class=\"entry-title\">Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares His Last Text Messages To Kyle Busch One Day Before His Death<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image perfmatters-lazy entered pmloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-1200x629.png 1200w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-400x210.png 400w\" alt=\"Dale\" width=\"1600\" height=\"838\" data-src=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-1200x629.png 1200w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr.-4-400x210.png 400w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares Texts From Kyle Busch Days Before His Death (YouTube\/Dale Earnhardt Jr.\u2019s Dirty Mo Media) (Photo by Jeff Robinson\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"nascar-champion-kyle-busch-dies-at-41\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Dies At 41<\/h2>\n<p>On Thursday, May 21, the NASCAR community suffered a devastating loss when\u00a0Kyle Busch\u00a0died at the age of 41.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\"><\/div>\n<p>NASCAR\u00a0confirmed the tragic news in a statement, while Busch\u2019s family,\u00a0Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR shared a heartfelt joint tribute honoring his legacy and the lasting mark he left on the sport.<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=CountryRebel&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2057577365543301405&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcountryrebel.com%2Fdale-earnhardt-jr-shares-his-last-text-messages-to-kyle-busch-one-day-before-his-death%2F&amp;sessionId=22a8eebce1ce4733d07730489f77aeb9fa7db36f&amp;siteScreenName=CountryRebel&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2057577365543301405\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"remembering-a-nascar-legend\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remembering A NASCAR Legend<\/h2>\n<p>Kyle Busch\u00a0is survived by his wife,\u00a0Samantha Busch, and their two children, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4. Known by fans as \u201cRowdy,\u201d Busch was one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"bands-in-town\">\n<div id=\"cf_async_550089456\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>During his legendary career, he captured two NASCAR Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019, earning a reputation for his fearless driving style and record-breaking success across NASCAR\u2019s top divisions.<\/p>\n<p>Born in\u00a0Las Vegas, Busch began racing as a teenager and quickly climbed through the ranks of the sport. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2004 with\u00a0Hendrick Motorsports\u00a0before spending 15 seasons as the face of\u00a0Joe Gibbs Racing\u00a0and Toyota\u2019s NASCAR program. In 2023, he joined\u00a0Richard Childress Racing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-4\"><\/div>\n<p>Busch held numerous NASCAR records, including the most combined wins across NASCAR\u2019s three national touring series. He earned 63 Cup Series victories, more than 100 Xfinity Series wins, and nearly 70 Truck Series wins during his career.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-0\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DYfLtieFi_T\/embed\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=485&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fcountryrebel.com&amp;rp=%2Fdale-earnhardt-jr-shares-his-last-text-messages-to-kyle-busch-one-day-before-his-death%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1146.199999988079%2C%22ls%22%3A243.89999997615814%2C%22le%22%3A820.3999999761581%7D\" height=\"880\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"880\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"dale-earnhardt-jr-reflects-on-his-relationship-with-kyle-busch\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reflects On His Relationship With Kyle Busch<\/h2>\n<p>Just hours after his passing, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.\u00a0shared an emotional tribute\u00a0in honor of the late driver. Earnhardt explained details regarding their relationship, saying he hoped for them to become better friends and improve their tumultuous relationship.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cKyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,\u201d Earnhardt shared. \u201cBut we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-166764 perfmatters-lazy entered pmloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-1200x629.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-1200x629.png 1200w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-400x210.png 400w\" alt=\"Kyle Busch\" width=\"1200\" height=\"629\" data-src=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-1200x629.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-1200x629.png 1200w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/countryrebel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kyle-Busch-3-400x210.png 400w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Dies At 41 (Photo by Jerry Markland\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On Tuesday (May 26), Earnhardt took to his podcast,\u00a0Dale Earnhardt Jr.\u2019s Dirty Mo Media, to share more about their final texts to one another.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cI was texting with him the day before he passed away about getting together this Thursday to bring his seat for his late model over to my shop,\u201d Earnhardt shared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Earnhardt revealed that\u00a0Busch\u00a0had major plans for their collaboration, including one idea that would have completely stunned NASCAR fans.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cAnd he goes, \u2018I wanna run the Dale Jr. 8\u2019 and I was like, \u2018You got it. That\u2019s what\u2019s on it right now. We\u2019ll run the Dale Jr. 8,\u2019 \u201d he continued.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Earnhardt shared that eventually, the two drivers \u201ctook the time to figure out our differences,\u201d admitting that because of Busch\u2019s efforts, the two were able to do so.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You can listen to his full podcast episode below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"perfmatters-lazy-video\" data-provider=\"youtube\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eCuUgU8cQ6E\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eCuUgU8cQ6E\" data-query=\"feature=oembed\" data-referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Showman, Villain, Family Man: How Dale Saw Kyle Busch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eCuUgU8cQ6E\" width=\"350\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-origwidth=\"350\" data-origheight=\"235\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-6\">\n<div class=\"eyeo\" data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1741624\" data-uid=\"09af4\">\n<div id=\"mgw1741624_09af4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares His Last Text Messages To Kyle Busch One Day Before His Death Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares Texts From Kyle Busch Days Before His&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26982,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26983,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26981\/revisions\/26983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}