Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, a winner at Michigan International Speedway and one the sport’s best drivers died on Thursday, May 22, according to a news release from NASCAR.
Busch’s death at 41, which was announced by the Busch family, NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing, was a blow to the motorsport’s community.
The NASCAR legend was hospitalized earlier in the week with what the motorsport series and his family called a “severe illness.” He did not recover, USA TODAY reported.
Kyle Busch’s cause of death is not immediately known. He was preparing to race in the the Coca-Cola 600, which is on Sunday, May 24.
“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” NASCAR said in a news release.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.
Busch was in his 22nd full-time season this year. He won two Cup Series titles in 2015 and 2019, and 63 total races. He is among the top 10 drivers on the circuit’s all-time win list at No. 9.
Among those wins is one at Michigan’s International Speedway, where he stole the lead from Jimmie Johnson on Lap 188 (out of 203) in the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 21, 2011. It was Busch’s 23rd win of his career.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 returns to Michigan International Speedway on June 7.
Busch raced 37 times at MIS over the years, starting in 2005. He finished all but five races. In addition to his win, he had a second-place finish and a pair of thirds.
Additionally, Busch competed in the Kalamazoo Klash at the Kalamazoo Speedway in 2017.
“On that memorable night at the Kalamazoo Klash, Kyle went above and beyond, taking the time to connect, visit and share his passion with all of our local racing fans. He left an indelible mark on our track and our community,” Kalamazoo Speedway wrote on in a post on Facebook.
— USA TODAY contributed
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, who won at Michigan speedway, has died
Reporting by Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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