‘We love you KB’: NASCAR community, sports world mourn Kyle Busch
The NASCAR community is mourning one of its own following the death of Kyle Busch on Thursday. The two-time Cup champion was 41 years old.
NASCAR announced Busch’s death several hours after a statement from his family indicated that he had been hospitalized as he underwent treatment for a severe illness.
In a joint statement with Richard Childress Racing, the family later confirmed Busch’s death.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” said the statement. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Following the news of Busch’s death, notable names in the racing and sports realms offered their condolences to his family and lamented his racing legacy as one of the best in the sport’s history.
“Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a post on X. “No one can deny that. But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many.”
“My heart is broken for the Busch family,” Earnhardt added. “I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”
NASCAR’s official statement
Joint statement from Richard Childress Racing and the Busch’s family
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
North Carolina governor Josh Stein
Rep. Richard Hudson
JR Motorsports
Denny Hamlin
Formula 1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Julian Edelman
Scott McLaughlin
Marco Andretti
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 7:53 PM.
