Sophie Cuningham turns heads with her pre-game dress, Colbert’s last song and lessons from Kyle Busch

We succeeded. We are here. Another Friday. Good Friday.

Memorial Day weekend. Kicking off summer. The start of the second best season of the year (fall is still No. 1, of course). Congratulations to everyone who took it out. You have earned this.

I will not speak 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 was gut-punch after gut-punch.

I don’t usually get emotional when I write something. In fact, it has only happened twice in my life.

TWO-TIME NASCAR CUP SERIES TRAINER KYLE BUSCH PASSES AWAY AT 41 YEARS OF HOSPITAL.

Last Christmas when Greg Biffle’s plane went down, and last night when NASCAR announced what I already knew for about an hour.

That NASCAR’s most decorated driver has tragically died at the age of 41.

So, this will be a different(ish) category. To be honest, I didn’t have time to write a study plan. It has already been one of those days.

NEW DETAILS EMERGE ON KYLE BUSCH DEATH AS NASCAR WORLD REMAINS SHOCKED

I’m on the clock – and on my way to the wrong time vacation – and I’m running out of time before the bell rings.

We will do our best.

Welcome to Friday Nightcaps – the one where Sophie Cunningham turns up before throwing doubles like the queen she is.

What else? Well, I have Kyle Busch. I’ll talk about it, because that’s what I’ve been doing all day anyway.

I’ll also shoot for some #content from the big week, and maybe get some reader email along the way. Indeed! Stephen Colbert’s Unbearable Show finally came to an end last night. It’s sad.

How will we survive?! We will send him in the right way.

Hold on to whatever you want because we have a little time today, and practice Friday ‘Cap.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham arrives at Crypto.com Arena before a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 5, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Images)

Sophie Cunningham brings the heat before dropping the dimes

We’re going to talk a lot about NASCAR today because this class goes where the news takes us, but let’s start on a light note about Sophie. I think we achieved that much, didn’t we?

Tough week for Indiana Fever. The fans seem to hate the coach. Caitlin Clark was scratched an hour before she was called in a few days ago for a bad back. It looked bad, the stadium was empty in the second quarter.

Yes. It’s not good!

Anyway, let’s put the Clark drama aside for now because that’s not why you’re all here. I don’t blame you.

In my mind, Sophie Cunningham’s world and we all live in it!

Let’s start, Sophie!

What a week of content!

That’s our girl. Remember where you first met Sophie Cunningham. Right here, in these spaces, almost a year ago.

And now he’s a star. We are always ahead of the trends, folks. Don’t forget it!

HILARY DUFF MAKES HER SI FOOD COVER DEBUT, CARRIE UNDERWOOD DIES WITH MÖTLEY CRÜE AND DEFENDS THE BANNER BALL

OK, let’s get to the best #content from a … weird … week. The good news? We’re almost here:

Kyle Busch & student email

A solid week. Good start, hard end. We limp to the finish line, but we still cross it. And that’s all that matters.

Now, let’s get to Kyle Busch…

KYLE BUSCH’S HAPPY MESSAGE AFTER FINAL NASCAR WIN A PAINFUL END FOR GRIEVING FANS

I wrote a long column on Rowdy this morning. If you really want to get into the weeds, you can look here.

For those who just want a taste, that’s good, too. I get it. Here it is:

Busch’s last career win came last week at the Truck Series race at Dover. In “Rowdy” fashion, he won 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 hasn’t done that since 2023. But it was still a win, and the crowd was still going wild, and Busch was back in Victory Lane, again.

Then an older, more mature, more reflective Kyle Busch spoke to FS1 after the race.

“Because you never know when the last one will be.”

Kyle Busch was one of the last links we had to an old school NASCAR driver. The old school way of doing things. He was the one.

In recent years, we have watched Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart retire. We watched Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson calling it quits. We watched Kevin Harvick — Earnhardt’s replacement back in 2001 — hang up.

But we still had Kyle Busch. NASCAR fans still have “Rowdy.” A driver who wanted to win at all costs, and didn’t care about hurting anyone’s feelings on the road.

Okay, we’re back in real time now.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch poses with his wife Samantha Busch and son Brexton Busch before the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on Aug. 1, 2016. (Photos by Matthew O’Haren-Imagn)

Busch has been a favorite of NASCAR fans in recent years. It was a seismic shift from his early days when he was absolutely hated. Despicable. Death is blasted in every race.

That changed a few years ago. His redemption arc was one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. But don’t take my word for it…

From Tim N:

“Kyle is the ONLY reason I still watch NASCAR. He’s not one of these midget clones that rule NASCAR now. They’re all buttoned-up corporate shills. He’s as boring as–. NASCAR better get Kyle Busch to keep people interested.”

From Patricia:

“Definitely a special person; husband, father, son, brother, friend, and memorable NASCAR driver. Racing will never be the same.”

And, Reply from Jim K:

“He’s out of power. He was out of the top 10 easily. Why do so many of the greats of motor racing (Senna, Earnhardt, Schumacher, Busch) meet premature corpses?”

Good question. NASCAR has had a very bad streak of luck over the past two decades. Hell, four decades ago, really.

Alan Kulwicki.

Adam Petty.

Dale.

Hendrick’s plane crash.

Greg Biffle.

Brutality. Like I said in the jump, just gut-punch after gut-punch. Hug someone today. Play with your children. Take a trip. Spend money.

Life is short. It can end … just like that.

As Kyle says, “you never know when the last one will be.”

Have a good weekend. Happy Memorial Day.

See you soon.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column scheduled to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (well, we’re not robots).

Kyle Busch memories/thoughts? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.