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NASCAR icon Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races across the sport’s three national series than any other driver in history, has died at the age of 41, the racing series declared Thursday.
The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying that Busch died after being hospitalized earlier in the day as the result of a severe illness, three days before he was to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. No cause of death was given.
“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,” NASCAR reported in a statement. “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.”
Remembering Kyle Busch• 2-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2015, 2019)
• Ranks 9th on the all-time Cup Series wins list (63)
• Holds record 234 combined wins in NASCAR’s top-3 series
• Holds wins record in O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and Craftsman Truck Series (69)
• Won a Cup Series race in record-breaking 19 consecutive seasons from 2005 to ’23
• Most recent win came in the Truck Series at Dover on May 15
• Most recent Cup Series win came June 4, 2023, at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
• Had competed in 397 straight starts in the Cup Series, the 4th-longest active streak behind Joey Logano (624), Brad Keselowski (592) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (412)
— ESPN Research
Busch, the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, is survived by his wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
The news comes 11 days after Kyle Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen asking a doctor to give him a “shot” after he finished the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was 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 Richard Childress Racing. He finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star 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 veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski on X: “Absolute shock. Very hard to process.”
Busch ranked 24th in the Cup Series standings this season, with two top-10 finishes in 12 races. The Las Vegas native won championships with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019. Busch was in his fourth season at Richard Childress Racing.
Our hearts are broken for Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, and the entire Busch family. Kyle was a fierce competitor, an incredible teammate, and, far more importantly, a devoted husband, father, and son. His impact on our organization and on the sport of NASCAR will never be… pic.twitter.com/Va7PzWEseG
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) May 21, 2026
His last win came in 2023, his first with RCR.
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 — more than any driver in history.
He had 63 Cup victories, which ranks ninth all-time, along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.
Kyle Busch, nicknamed “Rowdy” as one of racing’s most polarizing personalities, won Cup Series championships with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019. He moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2023. He won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images”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,” NASCAR reported in its 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.'”Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.”Busch’s sudden death shocked the racing world Thursday.”There aren’t really words for today,” driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. posted to social media. “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. … Rest easy, Rowdy. The sport won’t be the same without you.”
I just talked to him Friday. In complete shock, as we all are. The devastation and sadness is beyond words. Praying for Samantha, Brexton, Lennix, his entire family and loved ones…🙏 pic.twitter.com/4Z98jzgWIK
— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) May 21, 2026
This doesn’t even feel real typing this… Easily one of the absolute greatest of all time, any track, any car, it didn’t matter he was gonna be good. Getting to race against Kyle was a true pinch me moment, I’ll never forget the first time just sharing the track with someone I… pic.twitter.com/e1NgKJczAB
— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) May 21, 2026
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.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Busch won the Brickyard 400 in 2015 and 2016 — as well as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races those years — remembered “Rowdy” as a “fan favorite, loved for his competitive spirit and passion.”
Kyle Busch was viewed as a racing prodigy.
He was reported to be ready to race at NASCAR’s top level at 16, but a cigarette settlement banned his debut and he had to wait until he was 18. Reported Kurt Busch at the time: “If you think I’m good, wait until you see my brother.”
Busch was fired early in his career by Hendrick Motorsports to make room on the team for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing where he experienced the vast majority of career success, but he was let go when there was no sponsor after the 2022 season. He joined RCR, where had struggled to win races.
His lack of success led to a recent spat with Hamlin, his former JGR teammate who appeared to criticize Busch on the Actions Detrimental podcast by saying, “if you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”
While Hamlin later reported he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and reported he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.
While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch made good on the threat and 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 wound up winning 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.
“I guess I just remembered how to drive,” Busch reported.
After earning his win at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wants to win in his career before he stops racing.
“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch reported. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”
The unexpected death is just the newest 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 Associated Press contributed to this report.
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