Inaugural Kyle Busch Invitational carries on NASCAR champion’s mission

The racing community will come together Friday afternoon at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina for the first-ever Kyle Busch Invitational.

The races will honor the late NASCAR champion, who died in May from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Busch died just days before he was scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Video above: ‘Legacy of life’: North Carolina family shares how Kyle Busch’s Bundle of Joy Fund helped them overcome infertility

Continuing the Busch family philanthropic mission

Helping families struggling with infertility was a cause close to Busch and his wife, Samantha, who faced their own challenges with IVF while trying to have their two children.

In 2015, the couple founded the Bundle of Joy Fund to assist families in affording expensive procedures like IVF.

The nonprofit has donated about $2 million in grants and helped more than 100 babies be born through this process. Proceeds from today’s race will go to the Bundle of Joy Fund to continue its mission and honor Busch’s legacy.

“With this, they can live that dream. You know how many couples have the dream of having a kid but can’t do it,” said Clay Campbell, vice president of NASCAR’s Mid-Atlantic division. “Everyone’s a winner. They know they helped fund the Bundle of Joy.”

Featuring a special racer

The event will feature about 70 drivers competing throughout the day, including racing legends like Chris Fleming and Burt Myers.

Myers, an 11-time Bowman Gray Stadium champion with more than 100 feature wins, is a familiar face at the venue.

Kyle’s son, 11-year-old Brexton Busch, will also take to the track on Friday, continuing his father’s legacy by competing in the Young Lions division.

Pit gates open and registration begins at noon. Practice starts at 2 p.m. The feature races are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.