Less than two months after her husband and former NASCAR driver Kyle Busch died, Samantha Busch announced the death of her grandfather Thursday.
Samantha posted a tribute on her Instagram story to honor both her grandfather and Kyle, uploading a picture of her alongside her “nonno” – the Italian word for grandfather.
“Bye Nonno,” Samantha wrote on her story.
“I hope you and Kyle are drinking Italian wine together in heaven and pretending either of you can understand one another just like the very first Christmas you all met.”
On another slide, Samantha included a picture of her grandfather having pasta with her children at home, and wrote, “And that Nonnie is making you guys pasta and her famous sauce.”
Kyle died May 21 after suddenly being hospitalized for sepsis. NASCAR announced his death in a joint statement from Richard Childress Racing team and his family.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement said. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Two weeks after Kyle’s death, Samantha opened up on Instagram and expressed her gratitude for the support people were giving her.
“The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain,” Samantha shared on June 5. “Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people.”
“There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, she continued, “yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”
Over more than two decades racing, Kyle won 234 NASCAR national series races across the Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Series – the most wins of any driver in the sport’s history.
