NASCAR legend Kyle Busch - Photo by Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
May 21 (Reuters) – Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41, NASCAR said on Thursday.
News of his death came just hours after Busch’s family released a statement saying he had been hospitalized with a severe illness and would not compete in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“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,” NASCAR said on social media.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing , and the entire motorsports community.”
Busch entered the sport as a brash teenager with the nickname “Shrub” as the younger brother of Hall of Fame driver Kurt Busch. But the alias of “Rowdy” – a nod to one of the main characters in the film “Days of Thunder” due to his aggressive style – is what stuck with him.
Busch got his start with Hendrick Motorsports as a heralded rookie, joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors, and spent the final stages of his career with Childress, arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
Richard Childress Racing had announced that Austin Hill, who drives the No. 21 for RCR in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, will take Busch’s place this weekend.
The 41-year-old Las Vegas native ranked 24th in the Cup Series standings, with a pair of top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. He won championships in 2015 and 2019.
His last win in 2023 was his first with RCR.
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