NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed the heartbreaking final text exchange that he shared with Kyle Busch just one day before the latter’s tragic death.
The 41-year-old was hospitalized last week after he became unresponsive while test-driving in a race simulator near Charlotte, North Carolina.
It was later revealed that the married father of two had pneumonia, which led to sepsis, and he died last Thursday.
Now, fellow NASCAR legend Earnhardt has revealed that, one day before Busch’s death, the two had discussed the upcoming CARS Tour, scheduled for May 30.
According to Earnhardt, the 41-year-old racing star had reached out to coordinate a shop visit to finalize a custom fitting for his specialized racing seat.
‘I was texting with him the day before he passed away about getting together this Thursday to bring his seat for his late model over to my shop,’ Earnhardt said.
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch died at the age of 41 on May 21 shortly after being hospitalized
NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. has revealed his heartbreaking final texts with Busch
‘He’s texting me, and he’s like, ‘What scheme we going to run?’ And I was like, ‘You can run any scheme you want. I was like, ‘What number do you want to run?’ He said, ‘The Dale Jr. 8.’ I was like, ‘You got it.”
The specific choice carried immense weight for Earnhardt, who piloted the iconic number 8 car to 17 Cup Series victories during the formative years of his career from 1999 to 2007.
Sadly, Busch never got the opportunity to compete in the race, after he unexpectedly passed away at the age of 41 following a sudden medical crisis.
A death certificate later obtained by media outlets revealed that Busch had been battling bacterial pneumonia, which rapidly progressed into a fatal case of sepsis.
Busch had sepsis for only a day before a rapid formation of blood clots led to fatal hemorrhaging and blood loss, according to his death certificate.
The race car driver has been cremated in Mooresville, North Carolina, his death certificate showed.
A medical examiner’s findings support the claims made during a 911 call on May 20, when Busch was reportedly throwing up blood.
Busch and Earnhardt Jr. pictured together at the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2014
The two-time Cup Series champion was hospitalized just hours before his death. Busch is pictured with his wife Samantha at the 2023 NASCASR Awards in Nashville
Initially, as the caller told the operator, Busch had ‘shortness of breath’ and felt ‘very hot.’
‘[He] thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,’ they added.
The caller then confirmed Busch was still conscious, repeatedly telling dispatch: ‘He is awake. He’s awake. He’s awake.’
According to the 911 audio, the NASCAR great was lying on a bathroom floor at the facility while employees prepared for the paramedics’ arrival.
Busch was then rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead the following day.
