NASCAR champ Kyle Busch dies at 41 after bout with severe illness

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion considered one of the best drivers of all time, died Thursday after a bout with a severe illness. He was 41.

The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR confirmed his death hours after announcing that Busch had been hospitalised this week and would miss Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

No further details, including the type of illness and location of the hospital, were provided.

"Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch," the joint 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.

"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.'"

"NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon."

Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha, 11-year-old son Brexton, and 4-year-old daughter Lennix. He was also the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, 47.

When the NASCAR Cup Series came to Watkins Glen, NY earlier this month, the FOX Sports broadcast noted that Busch had been dealing with a sinus cold. Busch told his team over the radio that he was "gonna need a shot" and later told The Athletic he had not fully gotten over what was ailing him.

"You can kind of hear it -- I'm still not great," Busch said. "The cough was pretty substantial last week."

The Associated Press reported that Busch became unresponsive while testing in Chevrolet's racing simulator Wednesday in Concord, NC, and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte.

Several NASCAR drivers and others affiliated with the sport posted tributes and condolences on social media.

"Absolutely cannot comprehend this news," Denny Hamlin wrote. "We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB."

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who lost his father in a crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001, said, "Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years. 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.

"Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history," he continued. "No one can deny that. But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family. I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends."

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrote, "There aren't really words for today. I've raced against Kyle for a long time, and anyone who's lined up next to him knows exactly what made him special, he gave you everything he had, every single lap, and he made all of us better for it.

"But more than the wins and the records, I keep thinking about Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix, and the entire Busch family right now. That's where my heart is. Rest easy, Rowdy. The sport won't be the same without you."

Busch accrued 232 wins across NASCAR's top three series: 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series. He won the trucks race at Dover on Friday, six days before his death.

The Las Vegas native was the NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2015 and 2019. He never won the Daytona 500 but claimed the pole for the first time this year before finishing 15th.

Among Busch's big wins were the 2008 Southern 500, the 2015 and 2016 Brickyard 400 and 2019 Coca-Cola 600.

In a statement earlier in the day, Richard Childress Racing asked for prayers for Busch and his family and "he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them."

They also tapped Austin Hill to take over for Busch in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR's crown jewel events.