Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Busch, 41, dead after ‘severe illness’

The news with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Busch this morning was that he was going to have to miss this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 due to “severe illness.”

Hours later, he was dead, at the age of 41.

This is unfathomable.

Nicknamed “Rowdy,” a nod to his wrestling heel-like public persona, Busch competed most recently in last weekend’s All-Star Race at Dover on Sunday, so, just four days ago, finishing 17th.

Busch won the Truck Series race at Dover last Friday, leading 147 of the 200 laps en route to his second win on the series in 2026.

That wasn’t even a week ago.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” a joint statement released on Thursday that was attributed to the Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR began.

Busch, the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion, was the active leader on the circuit in Cup Series wins (63, ranking ninth on the all-time list), and was the all-time leader for wins in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69).

During the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on May 10, where he finished eighth, Busch radioed his crew to request medical aid; according to the TV broadcast, he had been struggling with a sinus cold that the commentators suggested had been exacerbated by the G-forces and 141 feet of elevation changes on the 2.45-mile road course.

“I’m gonna need a shot,” Busch was heard telling his team on the radio, and asked in the lead-up to the racing weekend at Dover how he was feeling, he motioned to his face and said:

“You can kind of hear it, I’m still not great. The cough was pretty substantial last week.”

At this writing, the cause of death is not publicly known.

“He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans,” the statement from his family, racing team and NASCAR said in tribute.

More from that statement:

“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.”