Kyle Busch will honor lost child at Charlotte truck race

I'm going to be honest with you here: this is a story that's tough to read and write, and there really isn't any kind of happy ending. At next weekend's Charlotte truck race, Kyle Busch will honor Zahra Baker with her image on his truck.

Zahra was a 10-year-old disabled girl from Hickory, N.C. who visited with Busch at a Speedway Children's Charities event last May.� Shortly afterward, she went missing. Weeks later, her dismembered body was found. It gets even more gruesome than that; we won't go any further with the details here. This was the first I've heard of this case, and that's awful, because I'd hate to think that kind of cruelty just gets forgotten.

Zahra's name and photograph will be emblazoned above the passenger-side window for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The track will observe a moment of silence in her honor, and several of the children who were at last year's event will be present also. After the moment of silence, they and Busch will release balloons in Zahra's honor.

"The story of Zahra Baker's tragic murder really hit home with KBM and the Kyle Busch Foundation," said Busch. "We are honored to have Speedway Children's Charities and several of the kids that attended last year's event at the Speedway join us in paying remembrance to her. Zahra will never be forgotten. She will always be in our hearts."

Tip of the cap to Busch, Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR for this one.

Kelly Carlson Sara Foster Natassia Malthe Victoria Silvstedt Hilary Swank