CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, has died. He was 41.
The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.
Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in that city 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 had not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
Busch is the younger brother of retired driver Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January, with Kyle his presenter at the Charlotte shrine. He’s also survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement read. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.
The statement went on to say that “throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. 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 news came 11 days after Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International asking a doctor to give him a “shot” after he finished 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 New York road course.
Busch, who had driven for Richard Childress Racing in the top-tier Cup Series since the 2023 season, finished the race in eighth place.
Busch competed at Delaware’s Dover Motor Speedway last weekend and won Friday night’s Truck Series race while driving for motorsports. He finished 17th at Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race on the same track.
“Absolute shock. Very hard to process,” veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion, posted on social media.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, a former teammate of Busch who also co-owns 23XI Racing, posted on social media: “Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”
Wrote RFK Racing driver and co-owner Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion, on social media: “Absolute shock. Very hard to process.”
A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multitalented Busch stormed into the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning its rookie of the year award. He went on to win postseason championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“His impact on our organization and on the sport of NASCAR will never be forgotten,” the team said in a statement.
Busch also won the championship for NASCAR’s second-tier series during the 2009 season.
A Las Vegas native, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series, winning a combined 234 races in the Cup Series (63), the second-tier car series currently sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts (102) and the third-tier Truck Series (69). His totals in the two lower-tier series are 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 released Thursday. “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. However, he was let go when there was no sponsor after the 2022 season and joined Richard Childress Racing, where he had struggled to win races.
His lack of success led to a recent spat with former JGR teammate Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Hamlin said then: “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 race track.
While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas Speedway, Busch raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race, and 23XI’s Tyler Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.
After winning the Truck Series 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.”
Afterward, 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.”
Busch’s unexpected death is just the latest tragedy to hit NASCAR. Last December, former driver Greg Biffle, his wife and two children and three others died in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina.
The announcement of Busch’s death came after teams had already left Gasoline Alley on media day at the Indianapolis 500. As word spread on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, just a short walk from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, racing fans — IndyCar and NASCAR — were saddened.
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 Motor Speedway 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.