Kyle Busch, the most prolific winner in NASCAR history and a two-time Cup Series champion, died May 21 following a sudden severe illness.
WASHINGTON — Kyle Busch, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, died Thursday at the age of 41.
His death came hours after his family announced he had been hospitalized with a severe illness and would miss the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
A cause of death had not been released as of Thursday evening.
“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 wrote in a statement on X. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”
He is survived by his wife, Samantha Busch, and their two children, Brexton and Lennix.
Born May 2, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kyle Thomas Busch grew up in a racing family. His father, Tom, introduced him to go-karts at age 6, and by 13, Busch was racing competitively in legends cars. His brother Kurt, seven years older than Kyle, is a Hall of Famer.
His nickname, “Rowdy,” captured his personality on the track and is a nod to one of the main characters in “Days of Thunder.”
He was a polarizing figure in racing, deeply beloved by his fans and often loudly booed by his detractors.
“His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation,'” his family, NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing said in a joint statement after his passing.
An untouchable record
Considered one of the sport’s all-time greats, Busch drove for three Hall of Fame team owners.
From 1999 through 2001, he won more than 65 races and claimed two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. He graduated high school a year early with honors to pursue racing full-time, made his Truck Series debut at 16 for Roush Racing, and signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 2003 before arriving at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008.
He is the only driver in NASCAR history to surpass 200 wins across the sport’s three national touring series — the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He held the all-time wins record in the Xfinity Series with 102 victories and in the Truck Series with 68, in addition to 63 Cup Series victories.
He won championships in all three of NASCAR’s major touring divisions: the Truck Series in 2008, the Xfinity Series in 2009 and the Cup Series in 2015 and 2019.
During his time at Joe Gibbs Racing — spanning 15 seasons from 2008 through 2022 — he was the winningest Cup Series driver of the 2010s, with 40 victories behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota.
After parting ways with Joe Gibbs Racing following the 2022 season, Busch joined Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet. His first season at RCR in 2023 produced three wins, with his last Cup Series win coming at the Enjoy Illinois 300 in St. Louis on June 4, 2023.
No driver in NASCAR history has won more races across all three of the sport’s national touring series.