Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR's three national series, died Thursday at age 41 after being hospitalized with what his family described as a severe illness. No cause of death was given.
The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR issued a joint statement confirming his death, according to NPR. "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch," the 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."
Busch had been scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. The illness surfaced three days before the race. News of his hospitalization came just 11 days after Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen asking a doctor to give him a shot after he finished the race. The TV broadcast noted he had been struggling with a sinus cold that was made worse by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course. He finished that race in eighth place.
Just days before his death, Busch had competed at Dover and won a Trucks Series race for Spire Motorsports. He also finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star race.
Born in Las Vegas, Busch won championships in 2015 and 2019 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Across NASCAR's three national series, he won a combined 234 races, including 63 Cup victories, 102 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series wins, and 69 Trucks victories. Both the O'Reilly and Trucks totals stand as records.
The joint statement described a career that ran more than two decades. "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.'"
Busch was known throughout the sport as "Rowdy" and "Wild Thing," nicknames earned through post-race confrontations, feuds with other drivers, and an outspoken personality. He won Rookie of the Year on the Cup Series in 2005 and was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. Early in his career, he was released by Hendrick Motorsports to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"Absolute shock. Very hard to process," veteran driver Brad Keselowski posted on social media. Driver and former teammate Denny Hamlin wrote: "Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB."
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also released a statement. "Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years," Earnhardt said. "But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences."
Busch is survived by his wife and two children.
