A chilling clip of NASCAR great Kyle Busch talking about feeling unwell days before his sudden death at the age of 41 has resurfaced – as a family member has spoken of their ‘pain and unexpected shock’.
Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion and father of two, was hospitalized on Thursday with an unspecified severe illness and hours later, his family announced that he had died.
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, as per the Associated Press. And while a cause of death has not yet emerged, Busch was struggling with something in his final weeks.
He radioed for medical assistance from his car in the middle of one of his final NASCAR races on May 10 in upstate New York, just days before his death.
And now, another eerie clip has emerged from May 16 of Busch being asked if he had recovered from what he thought was simply a nasty cough.
‘I had a pretty – you can kind of still hear it, I’m still not great,’ Busch said, waving his hand to his face as he spoke to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. ‘But er, the cough was pretty substantial.’
Kyle Busch, pictured with wife Samantha, was struggling with sickness days before his death
Busch had radioed in to his crew requesting medical aid during a race on May 10
It comes as his widow Samantha’s cousin released an emotional statement on social media late on Thursday night about Busch’s death.
‘Unexpectedly my cousin, Samantha’s husband, Kyle Busch, one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, who was known around the world and touched so many, has passed away today at 41 years old,’ Alexander Dmitar Momcilovic wrote on Facebook.
‘He was a beautiful man, driver, father, husband and soul. We hold in our prayers, their entire family, including Samantha, my uncle Steve and Aunt Donney, Kyle’s brother, his father and his mother.
‘I know they are feeling so much pain and unexpected shock at this time. We also hold in the most love Kyle and Samantha’s two young children Brexton and Lennix.’
In the clip from Busch’s May 10 race, he was asking for a doctor to urgently meet him to give him ‘a shot’.
With 38 laps to go in the NASCAR Cup Series game, Busch told his team over the radio: ‘Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He’s the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please.’
He was then asked whether he needed the doctor at his car or his bus, to which he replied: ‘Uh, bus. I’m going to need a shot.’
According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
The Busch family celebrated Brexton’s 11th birthday just three days before Kyle’s passing
Busch pictured with wife Samantha at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January in Charlotte
Busch went on to claim his record fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trophy that day, despite clearly still struggling with illness.
Following his death, which came just six days after the victory, a heartbreaking clip of Busch’s post-race interview resurfaced.
After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win with the triumph at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career before he stops racing.
‘You take whatever you can get, man,’ Busch said. ‘You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all – trust me.’
It remains unclear whether his sinus issues and cough were related to the cause of his death.
In the wake of his shock passing, tributes have flooded in from NASCAR and across the racing world.
‘Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,’ NASCAR shared in a statement on behalf of Busch’s family and his team, Richard Childress Racing.
The Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing
His tragic death was announced just hours after it emerged he had been hospitalized
‘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.’
The Busch family celebrated son Brexton’s 11th birthday just three days before Kyle’s passing.
From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories – both records.
