Dale Earnhardt Jr pays tribute to NASCAR rival Kyle Busch and reflects on their ‘challenging’ relationship

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr has paid tribute to his former track rival Kyle Busch, following his tragic death on Thursday.

The 41 year old sadly passed away after a sudden illness, with the NASCAR legend having been taken to hospital just hours before his untimely death.

Since the news broke, friends, family and fans alike have all expressed their deepest condolences, with Earnhardt just one of the latest big names to pay tribute to the racing star.

Reflecting on the journey to from bitter rivals to good friends, he took to social media to share an insight into their relationship.

Kyle's former NASCAR rival paid tribute to the late star on Friday ( Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,” Earnhardt, 51, wrote in a post on X on Thursday, May 21.

“But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams.

"I was super eager for us to get on better terms. But it was he who made the effort for that to be possible.”

Earnhardt added, “We did some media together also to laugh through some of the things we put each other through many years ago.”

As well as forging a friendship, he had been keen to work together with Kyle in the future, and had made several plans for what that may have looked like.

“Most recently we had even been discussing him running my Late Model at Wilkesboro this summer,” Earnhardt wrote.

Despite their tensions on the track, the pair were able to become good pals (Jeff Curry/Getty Images)

“He seemed extremely happy and we had planned to meet up next Thursday to get his seat to the shop.

"He laughed over the idea of his fans and JRM fans having to cheer in unison during that race.”

After almost twenty years of tense animosity, largely stemming from Busch leaving Hendrick Motorsports in 2007 and Earnhardt taking his car, Earnhardt admitted he was glad he and Busch had been able to talk things out and forge a solid and lasting friendship.

“Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history,” Earnhardt wrote. “No one can deny that."

" But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family.

"I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”

No confirmed cause of death has yet been revealed.