Kyle Busch’s cause of death has been revealed following the NASCAR legend’s shocking death at age 41.
A rep for Busch’s family confirmed to NBC News on Saturday, May 23, that the late athlete died of pneumonia that progressed “into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
On May 21, NASCAR confirmed that Busch died hours after his family announced that he’d been hospitalized with a “severe illness.”
“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 in a statement via X. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community.”
The final few weeks of Busch’s life were marred by health issues, even as he tried to continue his busy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
During a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen in New York on May 10, he asked over his racecar radio audio for a doctor to come to his bus after he finished the race.
“He’s the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please,” he asked his crew over the radio.
Kyle notified his crew that he was “gonna need a shot,” though he did finish the race in eighth place. At the time, Fox’s commentary team explained that Kyle was “suffering from a sinus cold all week,” which was exacerbated by the extreme G-force during the race and the elevation change at Watkins Glen.
The driver soldiered on to compete at the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 17, and was due to race at both the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series the following weekend.
However, his family stunned NASCAR observers by announcing on May 21 that Busch was pulling out of his racing responsibilities due to health concerns. (Busch had not missed a race since 2015, when he skipped the first 11 races of the season due to a compound leg fracture and broken foot.)
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization,” his family shared in a statement. “He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”
Just a few hours later, NASCAR broke the news that Kyle was dead at age 41. The NASCAR community came together to celebrate Kyle’s life and legacy following his death.
“Absolutely cannot comprehend this news,” three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin tweeted. “We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”
Fellow NASCAR star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. reflected on his rivalry with Kyle, writing, “There aren’t really words for today. I’ve raced against Kyle for a long time, and anyone who’s lined up next to him knows exactly what made him special, he gave you everything he had, every single lap, and he made all of us better for it.”
“More than the wins and the records, I keep thinking about Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix, and the entire Busch family right now. That’s where my heart is,” Stenhouse went on.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion is survived by his wife of 15 years, influencer Samantha Busch, their two children — daughter Lennix Key and son Brexton Locke — and his older brother, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch.
