2-time NASCAR champ Kyle Busch dies
at 41 after being hospitalized with a 'severe illness'
[May 22, 2026]
By STEVE REED
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who
won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series,
has died. He was 41.
The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint
statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No
cause of death was given.
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.
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on
Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a
hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation
told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details
have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer.
He’s survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
“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.”
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.’”
The news comes 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” when he finished the race. According to the TV broadcast,
Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the
intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
Busch finished the race in eighth place.
Busch 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.
“Absolutely cannot comprehend this news,” NASCAR driver and former
teammate Denny Hamlin posted on social media. “We just need to think
of his family during this time. We love you KB.”
Added driver Brad Keselowski on social media: “Absolute shock. Very
hard to process.”
A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his
post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes
outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch stormed on 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 NASCAR will
never be forgotten,” the team said in a statement.
From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s
three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto
Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with
102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.
Busch was fired early in his career by Hendrick Motorsports to make
room on the team for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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Kyle Busch celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race
at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, May 27,
2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,”
Earnhardt said in a statement. “But we luckily took the time to
figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with
a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing
teams. I was super eager for us to get on better terms. But it was
he who made the effort for that to be possible.”
Busch moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing where he experienced the vast
majority of career success. But Busch was let go when there was no
sponsor after the 2022 season and joined Richard Childress Racing,
where had struggled to win races.
His lack of success led to a recent spat with former JGR teammate
Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the “Actions Detrimental”
podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go
back to victory lane on a regular basis, you are kidding
yourselves.”
While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was
just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could
make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.
While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced
Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That
decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race and Tyler
Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.
After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an
uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying
“I guess I just remembered how to drive.”
After earning his win at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he
wanted to win in his career.
“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know
when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”
Busch’s unexpected death is just the latest tragedy to hit NASCAR.
Last December, former driver Greg Biffle, his wife and two children
and three others died in a plane crash in Statesville, North
Carolina.
The announcement of Busch’s death came after teams had already left
Gasoline Alley on media day at the Indianapolis 500. As word spread
on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, just a short walk from
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, race fans -- IndyCar and NASCAR -- were
saddened.
NASCAR officials confirmed to The Associated Press the Coca-Cola 600
will go on as planned Sunday.
Drivers are expected to begin making their way to Charlotte
Motorsports Speedway in Concord on Friday with practice and
qualifying beginning on Saturday. Earlier in the day, RCR had
announced that Austin Hill would replace Busch in the No. 8
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
___
AP freelance writer and former AP auto racing writer Jenna Fryer and
AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this
report.
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