CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch died after what his family says began as severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis, producing rapid and overwhelming complications, the family said in a statement. He was 41.
Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said the family received the medical evaluation confirming the cause on Saturday. Busch collapsed the day before his death while testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord and was taken to a hospital in nearby Charlotte.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Health authorities warn it can trigger widespread inflammation, blood clots on a microscopic level and leaky blood vessels, and it requires urgent medical care.
According to people familiar with the situation, Busch had felt under the weather after racing at Watkins Glen on May 10, when he radioed his team that he needed a doctor’s “shot” following the event. He recovered enough to win a Truck Series race at Dover the following weekend and to finish 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race on Sunday. Photos show Busch being introduced at Dover Motor Speedway on May 17, 2026 (Derik Hamilton/AP).
While testing in the simulator in Concord on Wednesday, Busch became unresponsive and emergency services were summoned. A 911 call released by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office recorded an unidentified caller reporting that Busch had shortness of breath, felt very hot, thought he was going to pass out and was coughing up some blood. The caller said Busch was on a bathroom floor but was awake and asked responders to disable sirens upon arrival.
Fellow driver Brad Keselowski said he was aware Busch had not been feeling well recently but declined to give details. Keselowski noted the pressure drivers feel to compete even when ill, saying many athletes push through to avoid being replaced.
Busch was a two-time NASCAR champion and, over a career spanning two decades, won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three national series — more wins than any driver in the sport’s history. To honor him, all 39 drivers entered in Sunday’s race will carry a black No. 8 decal on their cars.