Kurt Busch will drive the pace car for the South Point 400 on October 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the venue honors his brother Kyle Busch during a weekend of tributes and NASCAR playoff racing.
Kurt Busch will drive the pace car at the South Point 400 this October. He’s back at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the track where his racing story began and where he scored his first hometown NASCAR Cup Series win. This year, the October 4 race does more than put the spotlight on the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and soon-to-be Hall of Famer. It’s also a tribute to his younger brother, Kyle Busch. Kyle, a two-time Cup Series champion, is being honored all weekend.
The Busch brothers are part of the Speedway’s DNA. This fall’s NASCAR Chase Weekend will make that clear. Kurt started out in Southern Nevada, racing Dwarf Cars at Pahrump Valley Speedway as a teenager. He soon dominated The Bullring, the Speedway’s 3/8-mile oval. He won three track titles there, including the 1996 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Hobby Stock championship. That early run of wins pushed him into the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series. He took Rookie of the Year in 1998. The next year, he became the youngest champion in series history after winning four races in a row. That record still stands.
Kurt Busch officially led the field of 36 drivers to the green flag as the pace car driver for the South Point 400 on October 4, 2026, a moment confirmed by both Las Vegas Motor Speedway and local media.
South Point 400 honors both Busch brothers
The South Point 400, set for Sunday, October 4, is the main event of a weekend built around celebrating Kyle Busch’s career. Kurt Busch’s role as pace car driver nods to his own legacy and the family’s deep roots at the Speedway. Patrick Lindsey, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, says the Busch brothers’ impact stretches from grassroots racing at The Bullring to the top of NASCAR.
Kurt Busch made his Cup Series debut in 2000 after racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. Over more than 20 years, he racked up 34 Cup wins in 776 starts. He won the 2017 Daytona 500. His 2004 championship with Roush Racing was the first decided under NASCAR’s original Chase format. NASCAR later named him one of its 75 Greatest Drivers. Busch’s return to Las Vegas as pace car driver means even more because he won his first Cup Series race at the track in September 2020. He edged out Matt DiBenedetto in a two-lap overtime finish at the South Point 400. Las Vegas Motor Speedway confirmed that 2020 win came by just 0.148 seconds after overtime. That was a milestone for Busch at his home track. It was close. It mattered.
Weekend schedule and fan experience
The 2026 Fall NASCAR Chase Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway runs from October 2 to 4. Saturday brings the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase Race. Sunday is the South Point 400. Fans can expect driver appearances and activities all over the property. There’s plenty to do. Kurt Busch joins a list of past LVMS pace car drivers that includes WWE Superstar Tiffany Stratton, Olympic medalist Katie Grimes, former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch, and actor Nick Cannon.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway emphasized that the Busch brothers are 'woven into the history' of the venue, from The Bullring to the NASCAR Cup Series, and highlighted that Kurt Busch is not only a Las Vegas native and 2004 Cup Series champion, but also a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2026.
Tickets and more details are at LVMS.com. The Speedway’s choice to honor both Busch brothers shows how much local talent shapes the national racing scene. Las Vegas Motor Speedway keeps its place as a key stop for NASCAR’s playoff drama. The impact is real.
Editorial perspective
Putting Kurt Busch at the front of the field for the South Point 400 does more than honor a local champion. It proves Las Vegas is still a proving ground for racing talent and a destination for big events. The double tribute to the Busch brothers gives fans a rare look at family legacy and professional success coming together. It all happens during a high-stakes NASCAR playoff weekend. Las Vegas is making a statement. The city celebrates its own and delivers big moments for racing fans and visitors. That’s the story.
