What we know about NASCAR star Kyle Busch's severe illness

Kristie Ackert, USA TODAY Thu, May 21, 2026 at 11:21 PM UTC

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What we know about NASCAR star Kyle Busch's severe illness

Editor's note: Read the latest updates on Kyle Busch's death.

Kyle Busch, one the most accomplished and recognizable drivers in NASCAR history, has died. He was 41 and it came suddenly, leaving fans wondering what happened.

Busch was hospitalized earlier this week with a severe illness. That is all we know at the time of the announcement. His family had asked for privacy on Thursday morning. He did not recover.

The two-time Cup Series champion won 63 races in NASCAR’s premier series, the ninth most all-time. He won championships in 2015 and 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He dominated the sport for two decades, winning at every level and in nearly every condition the sport could present.

We do know, however, he had been dealing with illness in recent weeks.

At Watkins Glen on May 10, FOX Sports noted during its broadcast that he had been fighting a sinus cold. He radioed in to his team to have the track doctor meet him after that race, but he did not elaborate why. He still finished eighth, his best result for the 2026 season.

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He also won a Truck Series race at Dover the following weekend. He was hospitalized shortly after that win and his team announced he would be replaced for the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend.

Busch had not missed a Cup Series race since 2015.

In February of that year, he was caught in an 11-car wreck with eight laps to go. His car struck a section of concrete wall where no SAFER barrier had been installed, leaving him with a double compound fracture of his right leg and a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot.

He missed the Daytona 500 the next morning and the first 11 races of the Cup season.

This sotry has been to reflect Busch's 63 wins as ninth best all time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Busch dead at 41: What we know about his illness

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Source: “AOL Sports”