Kyle Busch, NASCAR champion, has died at the age of 41, his family has confirmed.
He had been hospitalized only hours earlier with a severe illness, according to a report from Just the News.
“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,” a statement jointly released by the family and groups said.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement continued. “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 … NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.”
He had been expected to race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but dropped out because of the hospitalization.
He had been battling what reportedly was a sinus infection just a few weeks ago.
At that time he radioed in to his crew for medical assistance.
No cause of death was announced right away but family and race community members said further details will be shared.
🚨 JUST IN: The 911 call for now-deceased NASCAR legend Kyle Busch has been RELEASED
The call was placed on Wednesday around 5:30pm, when Kyle was found on the bathroom floor of a training facility
Just heartbreaking. Keep praying for the Busch family 🙏🏻
“I’ve got an… pic.twitter.com/5ZR2ScXHGU
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 22, 2026
🚨 Breaking: New details in Kyle Busch’s shocking death
A chilling 911 call reveals the NASCAR legend was found coughing up blood on the bathroom floor the day before he passed away at age 41.
The emergency audio, obtained by the NY Post, was made around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday,… pic.twitter.com/q7bahcnhXb
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) May 22, 2026
He was a two-time Cup champion.
He had collapsed in a Chevy simulator sometime Wednesday and was transported to a Charlotte hospital. He died shortly after.
He made 762 career starts. Busch won the championship in 2015 and 2019, and had 234 victories across all three NASCAR national series. He is the all-time record-holder for wins in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69).
