Two-time NASCAR champ Kyle Busch dies at 41 after severe illness

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who holds the record for most wins across all three of the sport’s national series, died at age 41.

The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday confirming Busch’s death following hospitalization. No cause of death was disclosed.

Earlier Thursday, Busch’s family said he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness” three days before he was scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been released by Busch’s team or family.

Busch was the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch. He is survived by his wife, Samantha, and children Brexton and Lennix.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the joint statement said.

“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 added: “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 comes 11 days after Busch radioed his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, requesting a doctor give him a “shot” after the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been battling a sinus cold worsened by intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.

He finished that race in eighth place.

Busch competed at Dover last weekend, winning a Trucks Series race for Spire Motorsports, then finished 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race — his final competition.

“Absolutely cannot comprehend this news,” NASCAR driver and former teammate Denny Hamlin posted on social media. “We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”

Driver Brad Keselowski added on social media: “Absolute shock. Very hard to process.”

A polarizing figure nicknamed “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for post-race fights, regular feuds and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch burst onto the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year.

He went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing.

“His impact on our organisation and on the sport of NASCAR will never be forgotten,” Joe Gibbs Racing said in a statement.

Hailing from Las Vegas, Busch achieved unmatched success across NASCAR’s three national series, winning a combined 234 races: 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the Xfinity Series (then O’Reilly Auto Parts) and 69 in the Truck Series — the latter two are records.

Early in his career, Busch was fired 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 to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he enjoyed the bulk of his career success, but was let go after the 2022 season when no sponsor emerged. He then joined Richard Childress Racing, where he struggled to win races.

His lack of recent success triggered a spat with former teammate 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 and was simply making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.

During last month’s race at Kansas, Busch — several laps down — raced Hamlin hard instead of letting the leader pass. That held up Hamlin during a critical stage, and Tyler Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.

After winning the Truck Series race at Dover last week and showing improved speed, Busch appeared to take a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying: “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”