NASCAR icon Kyle Busch died due to severe pneumonia that developed into sepsis, according to a statement made by the Busch family on Saturday.
“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” the statement read. “The Family asks for continued understanding and privacy during this difficult time.”
Busch died on Thursday at the age of 41, being hospitalized just days before he was set to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend.
According to multiple reports, he suffered a medical emergency while in the racing simulator at General Motors Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, N.C. He was reportedly found unresponsive and taken to a hospital.
On Thursday morning, his family announced that he would miss the Coca-Cola 600 due to this severe illness. His death was publicly announced hours later.
Richard Childress Racing has since announced that Busch’s No. 8 will now be reserved until his son, Brexton Busch, begins his NASCAR career.
Across all three major NASCAR series’, Busch has the most all-time wins with 234 victories to go along with 63 Cup Series wins.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
