Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, passed away at the age of 41, his family announced on Thursday, May 21. Kyle, whose aggressive driving style earned him the nickname “Rowdy”, won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series.
with a severe illness, his family said.
Busch is survived by his parents and his wife, Samantha, and children Brexton and Lennix.
Kyle Busch’s Cause of Death
The Busch family has not given any cause of death in their statement. However, earlier on Thursday, they said he was hospitalised with a “severe illness,” just three days before his Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24.
Kyle was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, according to The Associated Press, citing people familiar with the situation.
A few before his death, Kyle had radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, asking a doctor to give him a “shot” when he finished the race.
According to the TV broadcast, Kyle had been struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
Kyle was ‘fierce, passionate, immensely skilled’: NASCAR
“We are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” his family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR said in a joint 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,” the statement read. “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
The statement went on to say that “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.’”
Kyle was in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR’s top division, where he won two Cup Series titles (2015, 2019) and 63 races – a figure that ranks ninth on the circuit’s all-time win list.
Hr competed at Dover last weekend and won the Trucks Series race for Spire Motorsports. He then finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star race, his final race.
Who is Kyle Busch?
Born in , Kyle Busch entered the sport as a brash teenager with the nickname “Shrub” as the younger brother of Hall of Fame driver Kurt Busch.
But the alias of “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behaviour stuck with him.
The multi-talented Kyle stormed onto the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year. He went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“His impact on our organization and on the sport of will never be forgotten,” the team said in a statement.
Kyle got his start with Hendrick Motorsports, joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavours, and spent the final stages of his career with Childress, arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
(with agency inputs)
