Details have emerged about the circumstances that led to the NASCAR legend's shocking death Kyle Busch.
Busch was “unresponsive” during a test run in the Chevrolet racing simulator at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday, May 20, according to The Associated Press.
The sports actor was then taken to a hospital in Charlotte, where he died on Thursday, May 21, at the age of 41.
Us Weekly has reached out to Chevrolet Racing and Richard Childress Racing for comment.
President of General Motors Mark Reuss shared a statement Thursday after news of Busch's death broke.
“The shocking news of Kyle's passing is deeply saddening to me, everyone at Chevrolet and General Motors. Our hearts go out to Samantha, their children Braxton and Lennix and the Busch family, everyone at RCR, Kyle's legions of fans and all of Rowdy Nation,” the statement, obtained by Us Weeklylearn. “He was a fierce competitor who found success both as a driver and team owner, and a generous benefactor to many families through the Bundle of Joy Fund he founded with Samantha. On top of all that, he found time to be a true friend to all of us.”
NASCAR announced Busch's death in a statement posted on social media Thursday.
“We are saddened and saddened to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of the most prominent and aggressive drivers in the sport,” the organization said. “Our condolences go out to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire sports community.”
HAMPTON, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 20: Kyle Busch watches during qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 Racing 208 at Echo Park Speedway on February 20, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia.
Jonathan Bachman/Getty ImagesAt the time of his death, Busch was preparing to run in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday, May 24, but his family announced that he had pulled out of the race “due to a serious illness” on Thursday morning.
“Kyle has been seriously ill which resulted in him being hospitalized,” reads the family's statement. “He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled events this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for your understanding and privacy as our family deals with this situation.”
Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha Buschand the couple's son, Braxton11, and a daughter, Lennix4.
In the weeks before his death, Busch was dealing with health problems.
During the race at Watkins Glen International on May 10, Busch could be heard pleading Dr. Bill Heisel over the sound of the car. Heisel is a prominent sports physician and leads the medical team responsible for keeping the drivers and pit crew healthy.
“He's a kindred spirit,” Busch said. “Please tell him I need him after the race.”
Busch told his team over headphones that he was “going to need a shot” after the race, with the Fox broadcast saying Busch's head was “completely full.”
The following week at Dover Motor Speedway, Busch was asked if his health had improved.
“I'm still not well,” he told reporters on Saturday, May 16. “But the cough was strong last week.”
After the announcement of Busch's death, the NASCAR community united in an outpouring of love, support and memories.
“I made him get every win and stole a few along the way,” the driver said Brad Keselowski shared X on Thursday. “We shot each other, in the media and on the track. But I like to think that somewhere deep down there was mutual appreciation that we pushed to do the best, even if none of us would agree.”
NASCAR legend Kyle Busch looked happy at his last red carpet event with his wife, Samantha Busch. Kyle attended the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Samantha, 39, in January – four months before his death was announced on Thursday, May 21. […]
Keselowski continued, “Tonight, I feel like a coyote without a street messenger.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. he admitted that he and Busch “had a really challenging life for a lot of years,” referring to Busch's firing by Hendrick Motorsports early in his career to make way for Earnhardt's team.
“But luckily we took the time to work out our differences and that's something he developed through a conversation on his bus about how we run our racing teams,” Earnhardt Jr., 51, wrote on X on Thursday. “I was very eager for us to get along better. But he is the one who made the effort to make that happen.”
He went on to say, “My heart aches for the Busch family, I will not be able to make sense of this loss, but I am thankful that we have found a way to be friends.”
