Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty; David Hahn/Icon Sportswire via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Kyle Busch’s car number has been retired in the wake of his death at age 41
- Richard Childress Racing announced that it would suspend use of the No. 8 car and reserve it for future use by his 11-year-old son, Brexton
- The two-time Cup Series champion died on Thursday, May 21, just hours after the Busch family shared that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness”
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The NASCAR legend was born in Las Vegas and began racing at a young age. His father, Tom, was a mechanic and his older brother, Kurt, is also a NASCAR driver.
During the 2000s, the younger Busch quickly established himself as one of NASCAR’s biggest stars. His success continued into the 2010s, and he won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2015 and 2019. In 2023, NASCAR included Busch on its list of 75 greatest drivers.
Busch was found unresponsive inside a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, N.C., and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte on Wednesday, May 20, Associated Press reported.
The news of his death came hours after the Busch family shared on Thursday, May 21, that he had been hospitalized and would miss two upcoming races in North Carolina.
During the Watkins Glen International race on May 10, he requested medical attention. At the time, he was heard asking his team over the radio to have a doctor meet him at his bus near the garages. During the broadcast, FOX Sports said Busch had a “sinus cold.” A few days later, Busch told a reporter he had a “substantial cough.”
His final race came in Dover, Del., on Sunday, May 17, for the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race. He was set to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the speedway in Concord, N.C., on Friday, May 22, and on Sunday, May 24 at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Read the original article on People
