Kyle Busch, 2-time NASCAR Cup and Brickyard 400 champion, dies at 41
Kyle Busch won a NASCAR Truck Series race last week. His family announced Thursday morning he was dealing with a "severe illness."
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch died at 41 years old on Thursday, NASCAR announced. Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, was set to continue his Cup season and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend until his family announced he was hospitalized with a severe illness on Thursday morning . "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch," NASCAR posted in an online statement.
"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. " A joint statement on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR.
pic. twitter. com/7fYGjIqxoJ — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2026 Busch requested medical aid from his car during a Cup race at Watkins Glen International on May 10, saying, "I'm gonna need a shot" on his radio, per The Athletic .
He finished that race and won the truck race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 15. "You take whatever you can get, man," Busch said after winning the truck race. "You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.