The 41-year-old NASCAR driver and Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41.
News of his death comes just hours after Busch’s family released a statement on Thursday saying he had been hospitalized with a severe illness and wouldn’t compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.
The official NASCAR account later confirmed his death.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers,” they wrote. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation,” the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR said in a joint statement. “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation,'” the statement continued. “NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.”
A cause of death has yet to be released.
What is known is that Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
His family posted earlier on Thursday that Busch was currently undergoing treatment for a “severe illness.”
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization. He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the statement, released prior to his death, read.
RCR Racing said Austin Hill would be filling in for him in the No. 8 Chevrolet. RCR asked fans to keep Busch and his family in their prayers and to respect their privacy during this time.
During a Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen, Busch radioed in to his crew requesting medical aid from Dr. Bill Heisel and a “shot” after the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the Upstate New York road course.
Busch continued to race and finished eighth.
A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch stormed on the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year.
He went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.
Busch was fired early in his career by Hendrick Motorsports to make room on the team for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,” Earnhardt said in a statement. “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.”
Busch moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing where he experienced the vast majority of career success. But Busch was let go when there was no sponsor after the 2022 season and joined Richard Childress Racing, where had struggled to win races.
His lack of success led to a recent spat with former JGR teammate Denny Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to victory lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”
While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.
While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race and Tyler Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.
After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”
After earning his win at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career.
“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”
NASCAR officials confirmed to The Associated Press the Coca-Cola 600 will go on as planned Sunday.
Drivers are expected to begin making their way to Charlotte Motorsports Speedway in Concord on Friday with practice and qualifying beginning on Saturday. Earlier in the day, RCR had announced that Austin Hill would replace Busch in the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Busch is survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
The Associated Press and WCNC contributed to this report.
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