Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch passed away on Thursday, May 21, at the age of 41. He had been hospitalised with a severe illness earlier on Thursday, just days before he was set to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte. No cause of death has been disclosed.
“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” read the joint statement shared by the Busch family, NASCAR and Busch’s team, Richard Childress Racing.
“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. He was fierce; he was passionate; he was immensely skilled, and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. 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 Busch: 1985-2026
This year marked Busch’s 22nd full-time season in NASCAR’s top division, where he won two titles (in 2015 and 2019) and 63 races. This places him ninth on the all-time wins list. Across the other two national NASCAR series, he scored a record total of 102 wins in what is now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.
His last win came just days ago at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway. After getting out of the truck, Busch was asked why winning never gets old, to which he replied prophetically: “Because you never know when the last one is. I know all too well, unfortunately, with the Cup stuff, but here with the truck stuff right now, it’s awesome just to be part of Spire Motorsports.”
Vishal Venugopal
