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NASCAR fans react after death of Kyle Busch
FOX 35 Orlando's Stephanie Buffamonte joins LiveNOW's Andy Mac after she spoke with NASCAR fans about the death of Kyle Busch.
Kyle Busch tragically died at the age of 41 on Thursday, and new reports reveal that the NASCAR legend become unresponsive prior to going to the hospital.
Kyle Busch passed out before going to hospital, reports say
Big picture view:
Before his hospitalization, Busch was participating in a test session at Chevrolet’s racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he suddenly became unresponsive and was taken for emergency medical treatment, according to unnamed sources cited by The Associated Press.
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Additional details emerged through 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports, in which a caller reported that the NASCAR star was having trouble breathing, overheating, and coughing up blood before emergency responders arrived to assist him, TMZ reported.
Kyle Busch dies at 41
Dig deeper:
Earlier in the day, RCR revealed Kyle was in the hospital with a "severe illness," which came on the heels of his last Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen in upstate New York. During the race, Busch radioed his crew for medical aid. No other information has been provided by his team or family.
The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.
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According to a TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. He’s survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.
Who was Kyle Busch?
The backstory:
Busch was born on May 2, 1985, into a racing family in Las Vegas. Busch drove for three Hall of Fame team owners in the Cup, getting his start with Hendrick Motorsports as a heralded rookie in stock-car racing’s big leagues in 2005.
Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer.
In 2008, Busch joined Joe Gibbs Racing and built a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors.
NASCAR noted that Busch's 15-year association with Joe Gibbs Racing was one of the sport’s most successful tenures, with at least one victory in each of those seasons.
Busch scored 56 of his 63 Cup Series wins with Gibbs, adding 90 more O’Reilly wins and a series championship in 2009.
He also spent the final stages of his career with Richard Childress Racing, joining the team in 2023 and taking over as driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press, TMZ contributed.