Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion and one of the sport’s greatest drivers, died Thursday of an unspecified illness.
Busch was the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, who is six years older.
Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Associated Press reported.
Busch became unresponsive while testing a racing simulator in Concord, N.C., the day before his death and had to be hospitalized, the New York Post reports.
Busch dealt with a medical issue earlier this month, with the star racer saying during the middle of a May 10 race that he would need to see a doctor after finishing his circuit, the Post said.
The broadcast crew mentioned that he had been dealing with a sinus issue, with the AP reporting that the broadcasters noted how “Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.”
“I’m gonna need a shot,” Busch said during the race.
The ailment still bothered him last week, when he told The Athletic while motioning toward his face: “You can kind of hear it, I’m still not great. The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
Busch was in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR’s top division, according to NASCAR’S Zach Albert.
The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a statement.
“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. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Busch drove for three Hall of Fame team owners, getting his start with Hendrick Motorsports as a heralded rookie in stock-car racing’s big leagues in 2005.
He joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors.
Busch spent the final stages of his career with Childress, arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
He was born May 2, 1985 into a racing family in Las Vegas.
