Two-time Nascar champion Kyle Busch dies at 41

Two-time Nascar Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died at age 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness, Nascar announced Thursday.

“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. He was 41 years old,” the racing organization wrote on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”

Busch’s family had earlier announced his hospitalization Thursday, stating he would not compete as planned at this weekend’s Nascar race in Charlotte, North Carolina.

During a Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen, Busch radioed his crew to request medical aid from Dr. Bill Heisel and a “shot” after the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been battling a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the upstate New York road course.

Busch continued racing and finished eighth in that event.

Busch ranked 24th in the Cup Series standings with two top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. The Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019. He was in his fourth season at Richard Childress Racing after winning titles with Joe Gibbs Racing.

One of Nascar’s most polarizing personalities, Busch won 234 races across the sport’s three national series, more than any driver in history.

He won 63 Cup Series races, including the 2018 Coca-Cola 600.

Associated Press contributed reporting.