Kyle Busch, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history and all-around wheelman who also tried his hand at disciplines like short course and rallycross, has passed away. He was 41 years old.

Busch had been hospitalized for what his family called a severe illness. Richard Childress Racing and Spire Motorsports respectively named Austin Hill and Corey Day as his substitute drivers for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 and Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

The family, RCR, and NASCAR jointly released the following statement on Thursday evening:

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.

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.

During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.

He holds the record for the most wins across all three NASCAR national divisions with 234: 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in O’Reilly, and 69 in the Trucks. Busch also won the 2009 Nationwide Series title along with two Cup crowns in 2015 and 2019.

Many hated Busch as much as loved him for his personality and driving style, and he leaned into his image as a heel throughout his career. “Rowdy”, as he was nicknamed alongside other monikers like “KFB”, was among the Cup Series’ household names regardless of his popularity, similar to his older brother Kurt.

Even with his polarizing reputation, there was no denying his talent and everyone knows he’s a first-ballot lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

While stock cars were his forté, his interest overlapped into other disciplines like dirt, sports cars, and off-road. In fact, as someone who grew up in Las Vegas, off-road trucks were a steed that had long been on his bucket list.

In 2010, Busch raced a Pro 2 in the TORC round at Route 66 Raceway. After testing a Traxxas truck at Crandon to prepare, he went to Joliet in a #18 M&M’s truck styled after his Cup car. Unfortunately, his race was upended by a broken rear suspension just two laps in.

He even got to add rallycross to his résumé in 2021, contesting Nitro Rallycross at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park just a week after the NASCAR season concluded. Busch finished fourth in the Final.

While the Pro 2 might’ve fulfilled his off-road truck desire, Busch hoped to go even bigger. He had been open about wanting to race the Baja 1000 when he retired from NASCAR.

“I’ve got some friends that are out in Vegas that have off-road trucks and stuff that I can probably get in and do,” Busch said in a 2021 preseason interview with MRN. “That would probably be more so for retirement time and just going and doing it to say I’ve done it.”

Kyle Busch: May 2, 1985 – May 21, 2026

Featured image credit: TORC