Sophie Cuningham has heads spinning with her pregame outfit, Colbert's final jab & lessons from Kyle Busch
We made it. We're here. Another Friday. A big Friday.
Memorial Day weekend. The kickoff to summer. The start of the second-best time of the year (fall is still No. 1, of course). Congrats to everyone who stuck it out. You guys earned this.
I won't mince words. It's been a brutal 24 hours since we last spoke. When I'm not teaching this class, I'm OutKick's NASCAR guy. The Kyle Busch news has consumed my life since about this time yesterday. It's been just gut-punch after gut-punch.
I don't often get emotional while writing something. Frankly, it's only really happened twice in my life.
TWO-TIME NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPION KYLE BUSCH TRAGICALLY DIES AT 41 AFTER HOSPITALIZATION
Last Christmas when Greg Biffle's plane went down, and yesterday evening when NASCAR announced what I'd already known for about an hour.
That NASCAR's most decorated active driver had tragically died at 41.
So, this is going to be a different(ish) class. To be honest, I've barely had time to even write up a lesson plan. It's just been one of those days.
NEW DETAILS BEGIN TO EMERGE IN KYLE BUSCH DEATH AS NASCAR WORLD REMAINS IN SHOCK
I'm on the clock — and on the road for an ill-timed vacation — and running out of time before the bell rings.
We're gonna power through best we can.
Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham turns heads before dropping a double-double like the queen she is.
What else? Well, I've got Kyle Busch. I'm gonna talk about it, because it's what I've been doing all day anyways.
I'll also squeeze in some #content from a big week, and maybe get to some reader mail along the way. Oh yeah! Stephen Colbert's insufferable show finally ended last night. Sad.
How will we survive?! We'll give him a proper send-off.
Grab you whatever you want because we're low on time today, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap.
We're gonna talk plenty of NASCAR today because this class goes where the news takes us, but let's start on a lighter note with Sophie. I think we've earned that much, right?
Tough week for the Indiana Fever. Fans seem to HATE the head coach. Caitlin Clark was scratched an hour before tip-off a few days ago because of a bad back. It was such a bad look, the arena was half-empty by the second quarter.
Yikes. Not great!
Anyway, let's go ahead and put the Clark drama aside for now because that's not why you're all here. I don't blame you.
In my mind, it's Sophie Cunningham's world and we're all just living in it!
Start us off, Sophie!
That's our girl. Remember where you first met Sophie Cunningham. Right here, in these spaces, about a year ago.
And now she's a star. We're always ahead of the trends, folks. Don't you forget it!
OK, let's get to the best #content from a ... weird ... week. The good news? We're almost there:
Solid week. Good start, tough finish. We're limping to the finish line, but we're still crossing it. And that's all that matters.
Now, let's get to Kyle Busch ...
KYLE BUSCH'S CHILLING MESSAGE AFTER FINAL NASCAR WIN A PAINFUL ENDING FOR MOURNING FANS
I wrote a long column on Rowdy this morning. If you really want to get into the weeds, you can check it out here.
For those who just want a taste, that's fine, too. I get it. Here you go:
Busch's final career win came one week ago in the Truck Series race at Dover. In typical "Rowdy" fashion, he dominated the race, leading 147 laps and giving the crowd his signature bow after taking the checkered flag.
No, it wasn't a Cup win. Busch hadn't done that since 2023. But it was still a win, and the crowd still went wild, and Busch was back in Victory Lane, again.
And then an older, more mature, more reflective Kyle Busch spoke to FS1 after the race.
"Because you never know when the last one is."
Kyle Busch was one of the last links we had to the old-school NASCAR driver. The old-school way of doing things. He was it.
In recent years, we've watched Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart retire. We've watched Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson call it quits. We watched Kevin Harvick — Earnhardt's replacement back in 2001 — hang it up.
But we still had Kyle Busch. NASCAR fans still had "Rowdy." A driver who wanted to win at all costs, and didn't care whose feelings he hurt along the way.
OK, we're back in real-time now.
Busch was beloved by NASCAR fans in recent years. It was a seismic change from his early seasons when he was absolutely hated. Despised. Booed to death at every race.
That changed a few years ago. His redemption arc was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. But don't take my word for it ...
From Tim N:
"Kyle is the ONLY reason I still watched NASCAR. He’s not one of these midget clones that dominate NASCAR now. They’re all buttoned-up corporate shills. Boring as he--. NASCAR better find more Kyle Busch’s to keep people interested."
From Patricia:
"Definitely a special person; husband, daddy, son, brother, friend, and memorable NASCAR driver. Racing will not be the same."
And, from Jim K:
"Absolutely gutted. He was easily top 10 all-time. Why are so many auto racing greats (Senna, Earnhardt, Schumacher, Busch) meeting such untimely demises?"
It's a good question. NASCAR has had just the worst string of luck over the past two decades. Hell, the past four decades, really.
Alan Kulwicki.
Adam Petty.
Dale.
The Hendrick plane crash.
Greg Biffle.
Brutal. Like I said at the jump, just gut-punch after gut-punch. Hug someone today. Play with your kids. Take the trip. Spend the money.
Life is short. It can end ... like that.
Like Kyle said, "you never know when the last one is."
Have a good weekend. Happy Memorial Day.
See you soon.
OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).
Kyle Busch memories/thoughts? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.