Kyle Busch, two-time Nascar champion, dies aged 41 | US news

Two-time Nascar Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41 after being hospitalized with a serious illness, Nascar said Thursday.

“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 hottest drivers. He was 41 years old,” the racing organization said. wrote on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing, and the entire motorsports community.”

No cause of death was stated.

Busch’s family announced early Thursday that he would be hospitalized and that he would not compete as planned in this weekend’s Nascar race in Charlotte, North Carolina.

During the Nascar Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on May 10, Busch radioed his team to request medical attention from Dr. Bill Heisel and a “shot” after the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch was dealing with a sinus cold that was made worse by intense G-forces and elevation changes on the road course in upstate New York.

Busch continued racing and finished eighth.

Busch finished 24th in the Cup Series standings with two top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. The Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019. Busch was in his fourth season with Richard Childress Racing after winning championships with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Busch has won 234 races in Nascar’s three national series; that’s more than any driver in history. His last win came in 2023.

A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race brawls, regular brawls with other drivers, and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch burst onto the Cup Series scene by winning Rookie of the Year in 2005.

He won 63 Cup Series races during his career.

Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha, and children, Brexton and Lennix.

Associated Press contributed reporting