Indianapolis — The motorsports world lost a favorite son this week.
Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch died at the premature age of 41 — not on track, but after a sudden illness in a hospital on the eve of his race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for Richard Childress Racing. USA Today reported Friday that Busch was coughing up blood the day before he died, according to a 911 call.
Nicknamed “Rowdy” for his no-holds-barred racing style — and personality — he was a larger-than-life figure who was mourned by everyone from his fans to NASCAR peers, rocks stars, auto executives, and IndyCar racers.
“Incredibly sad,” posted Team Penske driver Scott McLughlin at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as IndyCar prepped for its Indy 500 weekend. “My thoughts are with his entire family. A true wheelman and one of the best to ever do it.”
Echoed Marco Andretti, one of three members of America’s most famous racing family (including grandfather Mario and father Michael) to have competed here at the 500: “No words. Here for the family.”
Busch, too, was part of a tight-knit, successful racing family including his father, Tom, and older brother Kurt, who himself won a NASCAR title in 2004. Kurt won his title at the age of 26, just a year after his 18-year-old brother, Kyle, entered NASCAR racing.
Kyle was a teenage phenom.
At the age of 13, he took the Legends Racing circuit by storm. At the age of 16, he was poised to enter the NASCAR Truck Series in 2001 at time when his high school peers were just getting their driving licenses. His young age shocked NASCAR authorities, who put in place an 18-year-old age minimum to deter him. He wasn’t deterred for long.
In 2003, the fresh 18-year-old entered the NASCAR Xfinity Series — the NASCAR Cup Series AAA circuit — and finished 2nd in his first race. The next year — while brother Kurt dominated the NASCAR Cup Series — he became a full-time driver and won five Xfinity races to finish as championship runner-up.
He rose to the top-shelf Cup series in 2005 and immediately made a mark with four wins in three season with Rick Hendrick Motorsports. But with his fiery personality riding shotgun, he was also a source of controversy. Hendrick released him in 2007.
“I thought my career was over because I was getting released by the No. 1 team in the sport,” reflected Busch in 2021. “So who the hell is going to want to take a chance on a firestorm of emotions of Kyle Busch?”
Busch was the driver NASCAR loved to hate.
He was a hero to Rowdy Nation — and a villain to those who weren’t, including fellow drivers who often felt his sharp elbows on track.
Joe Gibbs Racing took the plunge on the talented pilot in 2008, and Busch won his first championship in 2015 (the second would come in 2019).
All told, he totaled a record 232 wins across NASCAR’s three national touring series, Truck, Xfinity and Cup car. His 63 Cup victories rank him ninth on the series’ all-time win list — including a record 19 consecutive years of winning at least one race.
His outsize personality transcended motorsports to all forms of entertainment, where he won friends.
“It is with deepest sympathy that I send my condolences on the loss of NASCAR great and acquaintance Kyle Busch,” wrote rock star Bret Michaels on Twitter. “He was a fierce competitor. My deepest condolences go out to his family and closest friends. May he rest in peace.”
Off track, he defied his villain image with his philanthropic Bundle of Joy Fund. The fund gives money to needy couples struggling with funding for expensive IVF treatments. The inspiration came from his and his wife Samantha’s difficulty having their own children, 11-year-old Brexton and 4-year-old Lennix.
With Childress Racing in recent years, he became a member of the Chevrolet family in Detroit.
“The shocking news of Kyle Busch’s passing is devastating to me, and to everyone at Chevrolet and General Motors,” wrote GM President Mark Reuss, an avid motorsports fan, on LinkedIn. “He was a fierce competitor who found success both as a driver and team owner, as well as a generous benefactor to countless families with the Bundle of Joy Fund he founded with Samantha. On top of all that, he found time to be a true friend to us all.”
A bow to the main grandstand — mixed with cheers and jeers alike — with a checkered flag in hand was Busch’s signature after his many wins. Competitive to the end, the 41-year-old took his final bow on Dover Motor Speedway’s front stretch last weekend after dominating the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
Busch will be honored at both Charlotte’s Coca-Coala 600 this weekend and at the Indianapolis 500 here Sunday when the scoring pylon will be illuminated on Lap #18 — Busch’s car number — in tribute.
“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,” NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote on Twitter. “But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences . . . it was he who made the effort for that to be possible. Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Racing peers mourn NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch
Reporting by Henry Payne, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
