It has been five years since the tragic loss of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. The former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard was a victim of a helicopter accident on January 26th, 2020. Also among the victims were his daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife and daughter, the pilot, and three others. In all, the accident claimed the lives of nine victims.

When the news broke, it sent shockwaves through the entire community. His tragic passing was so big that it transcended the NBA sphere and made waves in other sporting communities. Among them was NASCAR, and they too were stunned at his loss. Ryan Blaney and William Byron were among the NASCAR drivers deeply affected by Bryant’s death. Especially since they were fans of his.

Looking back on his NBA career, it is easy to see why he is revered. From his debut in 1996 until 2016, Bryant stayed loyal to the Los Angeles Lakers. During his tenure, he helped guide the team to five NBA championships and even won the Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. Additionally, he was a 2-time NBA Finals MVP and an 18-time All-Star athlete. Bryant’s legend was so great that his #8 and #24 jersey numbers were retired, along with a statue at the Crypto.com Arena which was revealed in 2024.

How did NASCAR salute the legendary Kobe Bryant?

When NASCAR paid tribute to him, Byron and Blaney were quick to throw their hat in the ring. At the Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports and Axalta teamed up to unveil a special livery in Bryant’s honor. Rather fittingly, Byron’s racing number was #24, and Hendrick Motorsports showed off a purple and gold livery. This was largely to mimic Bryant’s own purple and gold LA Lakers jersey.

Meanwhile, Blaney and his Body Armor sponsor had a similar idea for their tribute. Like his friend Byron, the Team Penske #12 car was also painted purple and gold at the Auto Club Speedway. However, what set him apart was that the Ford Mustang had a scale-like pattern adorning it. The inspiration behind this livery is likely down to the fact that Kobe Bryant was nicknamed the Black Mamba.

A few other drivers also had their own method of honoring the fallen. Daniel Suarez revealed that he would race with a special set of gloves and shoes which were purple and gold and had Kobe’s numbers and face on them. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace ran a special livery during that year’s Daytona 500 in his #43 Richard Petty Motorsports car, proudly honoring the names of the victims on the livery. Wallace spoke on this tribute, saying, “I was going to put his name where my name was on the door, but then we were like, we need to honor every single person there and I agreed with that.” 

That race at Auto Club Speedway will always be remembered for these iconic tributes. The California racetrack saw some iconic moments over the years, but for California natives, the tribute to Kobe Bryant after his contributions to the city will serve as one of the most emotional moments. However, the speedway is now undergoing a revamp after the track held its last race in 2023.

Auto Club Speedway is set to return in 2026

What is so significant about that race at Auto Club was that it would be the third-to-last race for the moment. This was because there were plans to reconstruct the track as a half-mile oval. The original plan was for construction to begin in 2020, after the race. However, nobody could have expected a global pandemic to practically shut down the whole world.

As a result, plans were delayed until 2023, and the Auto Club Speedway held its last race. Kyle Busch had the honor of being the last race winner, which will stay like that until the reconstruction is complete. In August 2024, a detailed plan for the revamp of the track was released. The document stated, “On June 7, 2021, San Bernardino County approved a Revision to an Approved Action modifying the Planned Development Permit to allow replacement of the existing 2.0-mile oval racetrack with an approximately 0.67-mile short track and associated new development.” The track is scheduled to return to NASCAR in 2026.

Until then, all the drivers will be gearing up for the 2025 campaign. Joey Logano enters the new season as the reigning champion, while all other drivers will be gunning for his crown. Admittedly, many of them will be keen to return to the Auto Club Speedway and see the revamped track. Of course, it will be an adjustment, as it was a 2-mile track and the new iteration will be half a mile long. However, before they can inaugurate the revamped track, the return to the Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time since 1971 will be the highlight of the 2025 campaign.