As Kyle Busch was remembered and honored by those at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, why he died suddenly Thursday was also revealed.
The Busch family released a short statement Saturday morning:
“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
A 9-1-1 call at 5:32 p.m. ET on Wednesday from the Chevrolet motorsports center that houses its racing simulator reported that the 41-year-old Busch was on the bathroom floor, still conscious but overheated and coughing up blood.
His death was announced about 24 hours later, following a Thursday morning news release that Busch was suffering from a severe illness.
Richard Childress Racing has Austin Hill in the Cup Series car this weekend at CMS, and the team changed the car number from No. 8 to No. 33, planning to reserve the No. 8 until Busch’s 11-year-old son, Brexton, can use it if he competes in NASCAR.
When the Cup garage opened Saturday morning, Busch’s car and that of teammate Austin Dillon were unloaded first in a silent garage. There are expected to be tributes throughout the race weekend, with the annual Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600 scheduled for Sunday night.
Joe Gibbs and Kyle Busch in 2019. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
His competitors talked about him somberly Saturday morning. Joe Gibbs, with whom Busch won two Cup titles with over 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing, echoed the industry sentiment of thoughts for the family, Busch’s wife, Samantha, and children, Brexton and Lennix.
“Honestly, it’s the worst thing that can happen in life,” Gibbs, who has survived the death of both of his sons when they each died at age 49, said in a news conference Saturday. “We just want to encourage [the family].”
Gibbs told a story about Busch finishing second in a race, and after talking to the press, he went up to Gibbs and said: “Your cars suck.”
The NFL and NASCAR Hall of Famer laughed at the memory.
“That guy had great courage,” Gibbs said. “He was not afraid of almost anything, and he had a burning desire to race. It was just inside of him.”
Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch at Dover International Speedway in 2017. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Several drivers in the last couple of days have talked about their interactions with Busch, how he made them the drivers they are and how he was one of the icons of the sport, where he owns the record for most national series wins (234), including ninth on the list of Cup wins (63).
Brad Keselowski, one of Busch’s most bitter rivals, said he would do one of Busch’s signature bows if he wins the race Sunday.
“The sport won’t be the same with Kyle,” Keselowski said.
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