Kyle Busch's No. 8 won't be used by RCR after death, reserved for son Brexton

Richard Childress Racing is changing the No. 8 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet car number to the No. 33 in the wake of Kyle Busch's death , the team announced on May 22.

Busch, 41, died on May 21 after being hospitalized with a severe illness. Busch was coughing up blood and had shortness of breath when emergency responders were requested at a General Motors facility in Concord, North Carolina on May 20, according to a 911 call obtained by USA TODAY . Austin Hill, an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series full-time driver with RCR, will fill in for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 at Charlotte.

"Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond," RCR said in a statement on social media.

"Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did.