NASCAR lost one of its fiercest competitors Thursday.
Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died at age 41 after being hospitalized earlier this week with what his family described as a “severe illness,” according to NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old,” NASCAR said in a statement Thursday evening.
The shocking announcement came just hours after Busch’s family revealed he had been hospitalized and would miss this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch, a Las Vegas native, was one of the most accomplished and polarizing stars of his generation. He captured Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019 and amassed more than 230 victories across NASCAR’s national series during a career spanning more than two decades.
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We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport's greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old.
We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire… pic.twitter.com/FARIF6OKrw
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2026
