‘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.
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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.”
We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion and one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers. He was 41 years old.
We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire… pic.twitter.com/FARIF6OKrw
A joint statement on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR. pic.twitter.com/7fYGjIqxoJ
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Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years. But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams. I was super eager for us to get on better…
Anna and I send our deepest condolences to the Busch family during this incredibly difficult time. Kyle was not just a talented and record-setting driver; he was also a kind person. His loss will be felt throughout the entire NASCAR community and well beyond. May his memory be a… https://t.co/OiC6KBetpt
Renee and I are heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. Kyle was more than a fierce competitor and Champion — he was someone I was proud to call a friend. I’ll always be grateful for the time we spent together, most recently he joined us in Washington to celebrate and promote our…
Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB. https://t.co/cpaXg2HZGF
A true competitor and champion
Our condolences to Kyle’s family, friends, and the entire NASCAR community https://t.co/kJwNSJAmOQ
There aren’t really words for today. I’ve raced against Kyle for a long time, and anyone who’s lined up next to him knows exactly what made him special, he gave you everything he had, every single lap, and he made all of us better for it.
But more than the wins and the records,… https://t.co/hLS9vioUyN
Got the chance to hang with Kyle a few times. Just such a solid dude. Tough day. #RIP https://t.co/JrcjTHNrru
Incredibly sad. My thoughts are with his entire family. A true wheelman and one of the best to ever do it. https://t.co/BMlclyUI09
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No words. Here for the family. 🙏🏼 https://t.co/6DH28mvqSk
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 7:53 PM.
