NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Passes Away Following Illness

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers, passed away Thursday following a severe illness that hospitalized him earlier in the day. Busch, who last Friday won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover Motor Speedway, had already been ruled out of all racing competition this upcoming weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch won 63 NASCAR Cup Series races, ranking ninth all-time, and captured Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019. The bulk of his career was spent driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, owned by Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs. Since 2023, Busch had raced for Richard Childress Racing in the Cup Series, driving the No. 8 car.