‘Once in a generation’: 2-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch dies at 41

(CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — The NASCAR world lost one of its all-time greats, as two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died, the racing league announced Thursday. 

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He was 41. 

Earlier in the day, the Busch family said the driver was undergoing treatment and would not participate in any scheduled events during one of the sport’s biggest weekends surrounding the Coca-Cola 600.

The Associated Press reports that, on Wednesday, Busch was testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord when he became unresponsive and was taken to a Charlotte hospital. Several people familiar with the situation told the AP of the incident; however, the Busch family has not confirmed these details.

The driver of the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet lived on the Denver side of Lake Norman with his wife Samantha and two children. He was 24th in the Cup Series standings in his 22nd season competing in the circuit.

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 motorsports community. — NASCAR

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‘Once in a generation’: 2-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch dies at 41

The exact cause of death has yet to be announced.

Busch was scheduled to compete in Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series Race and Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 Race in Charlotte. He finished 17th in the All-Star race held in Dover last weekend.

His older brother Kurt was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year, and most expected Kyle to eventually follow suit.

RCR, based in the town of Welcome, wrote that it was “devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch.” The team noted how Busch’s “Rowdy” personality led to a greater emotional connection with fans.

“A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation,” the team wrote. “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans,” His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’”

The Las Vegas native won Cup championships in 2015 and 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He won 63 races at the Cup level, good for ninth all-time. Additionally, he made it to victory lane a record 102 times across what is now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series.

He just took the checkered flag last Friday in Dover truck race. After the win, he told a Fox Sports reporter that: “You never know when the last one is.”

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“I know all too well, unfortunately, with the Cup stuff. But with the truck stuff, it’s awesome to be part of Spire Motorsports.”

The races set for Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend are still running as scheduled. Other team-specific events have been affected, including the cancellation of Hendrick Motorsports’ Fan Fest slated for Friday.

The death comes on the heels of former driver Greg Biffle’s death in December when his plane crashed in Statesville. And later that month, driver/owner Denny Hamlin’s father was killed in a fire at his Gaston County home.

Other members of the NASCAR family shared their condolences with the Busch family.