Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch dies at 41
Al Jazeera
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at age 41 after being hospitalized with a serious illness. The racing world mourns as tributes pour in for the record-setting driver.
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion (2015 and 2019) and the winningest driver across NASCAR's three national series, has died at age 41.
The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after a hospital stay. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Earlier the same day, Busch's family announced he had been hospitalized with a "serious illness," just three days before he was scheduled to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Multiple unnamed sources said Busch was testing on a Chevrolet simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte.
Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee. He is survived by his wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
"The entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by this loss," the statement read. "Kyle was a rare talent—fierce, passionate, and extraordinarily skilled. He deeply loved this sport and its fans."
Grief spread across the racing community. Driver Denny Hamlin wrote: "I can't process this news. Praying for his family during this time." Brad Keselowski added: "Absolutely stunned. This is so hard to accept."
Busch burst onto the scene in 2005 with Rookie of the Year honors, earning the nicknames 'Rowdy' and 'Wild Thing' for his fiery personality. He won Cup Series championships with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, Busch set a record with a total of 234 wins across NASCAR's three national series (Cup, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and Truck Series), including 63 Cup wins, 102 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and 69 in the Truck Series—a record in both lower series.
He was released early from Hendrick Motorsports to make way for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Busch then moved to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he achieved tremendous success, but when he failed to secure sponsorship after the 2022 season, he joined Richard Childress Racing and struggled to win.
Busch's final race was the NASCAR All-Star event, where he finished 17th. Earlier, he won the Truck Series race at Dover for Spire Motorsports.
