Even after death, Kyle Busch looms large at Celebration of America

 Derek Kneeland backs his race car out of the pits to line up for the start of the Celebration of America 300 at the Oxford track on July 2, 2026. The former spotter for Kyle Bush dedicated his car and race to the NASCAR driver that died recently. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) OXFORD — Derek Kneeland doesn’t consider himself an emotional person. On Thursday, though, it was impossible not to be. Prior to the third annual Celebration of America 300, Kneeland, one of 32 racers, addressed the Oxford Plains Speedway crowd. The Windham native spoke of a night he had last year when Kyle Busch was in town to race. Kneeland was a spotter for Busch for five years on the NASCAR Cup Series. “We were out there camping, and we both love Moscow mules, so my wife went over here to Roopers and got some stuff for Moscow mules,” Kneeland said. “That night last year was the first night he told me he loved me … This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through.” From speeches to tributes to emotional racers, Busch, who died in May at the age of 41 after a sudden illness, was on the minds of everyone present for the Celebration of America on the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday. A welcomed visitor at OPS, Busch’s appearances at the track were noteworthy. He competed in multiple Oxford 250s, winning the race in 2011. He also took part in the first two Celebration of America races as well as the Memorial Day Clash last year. [](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/25/nascar-star-kyle-busch-remembered-fondly-at-oxford-plains-after-his-shocking-death/) Related [NASCAR star Kyle Busch remembered fondly at Oxford Plains after his shocking death](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/25/nascar-star-kyle-busch-remembered-fondly-at-oxford-plains-after-his-shocking-death/) “He loved coming up here for you fans,” Tom Mayberry, OPS owner and track president, told the crowd prior to the race. “I always said that one of the reasons a lot of these people are so good is they know what they have to do to the car. A lot of people just drive, and they don’t work on it, but Kyle knew (to do) that.” Advertisement Following the addresses from Kneeland and Mayberry, racers circled the track for their warmup laps. As they did so, they went four-wide in a tribute to Busch, who was known for his ability to maneuver his way through four-wide situations. Some racers also painted their cars in tribute to Busch. Ben Rowe of Turner sported the No. 5 with a red-and-black paint job, a style used by Busch in the early 2000s. Kneeland, meanwhile, changed his racing number to “KB8” in tribute to Busch’s initials and No. 8, his number for Richard Childress Racing. [](https://www.centralmaine.com/2026/07/02/d-j-shaw-makes-late-move-to-win-celebration-of-america-300/) Related [D.J. Shaw makes late move to win Celebration of America 300](https://www.centralmaine.com/2026/07/02/d-j-shaw-makes-late-move-to-win-celebration-of-america-300/) “(Kyle’s) father reached out to me, and he doesn’t talk a whole lot, but we had a long conversation,” Kneeland said. “I said, ‘I’d love if I could have your guys’ blessing to run either the 8 or the 51,’ and he said, ‘The short-track world knows him as 51, but the world knows him as 8.’” Race runner-up Gabe Brown of Center Conway, New Hampshire, was friends with Busch. He wanted badly to win the race for his friend and led for much of it, ultimately finishing second to fellow Center Conway native D.J. Shaw. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/43677668_cm_CelebrationOFamerica300_070326-12.jpg) Oxford Plains Speedway announcer Kevin Varney, right, interviews Derek Kneeland Thursday prior to the start of the Celebration of America 300 on Thursday in Oxford. Kneeland was a former spotter for Kyle Bush and dedicated his car and race to NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, who recently passed away. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F07%5C%2F43677668_cm_CelebrationOFamerica300_070326-12.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Oxford%20Plains%20Speedway%20announcer%20Kevin%20Varney%2C%20right%2C%20interviews%20Derek%20Kneeland%20Thursday%20prior%20to%20the%20start%20of%20the%20Celebration%20of%20America%20300%20on%20Thursday%20in%20Oxford.%20%20%20Kneeland%20was%20a%20former%20spotter%20for%20Kyle%20Bush%20and%20dedicated%20his%20car%20and%20race%20to%20NASCAR%20driver%20Kyle%20Busch%2C%20who%20recently%20passed%20away.%20%28Russ%20Dillingham%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) “He drove my car once, and we became really good friends after that,” Brown said. “He’s somebody that taught me a lot in a short period of time, and I’m just thankful for that … I know he would have hated to lose this race, too, and I hate it as much as he would have.” Shaw raced against Busch in multiple PASS races, most notably in the Celebration of America in 2024 and 2025. Coming away with a win on a night Busch was honored, he said, was a special feeling. “He was an icon of the sport,” Shaw said. “To have the race here on the Fourth of July week and to be able to honor him and to honor America, it was pretty awesome.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [celebration of america 300](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/celebration-of-america-300/), [oxford plains speedway](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/oxford-plains-speedway/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/mike-mandell) [Mike MandellStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/mike-mandell) Mike Mandell came to the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in April 2022 after spending five and a half years with The Ellsworth American in Hancock County, Maine. He came to Maine out of college after. [More by Mike Mandell](https://www.pressherald.com/author/mike-mandell)