CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch’s family has confirmed that the racing legend passed away due to severe pneumonia which escalated into sepsis, leading to swift and severe complications. The family shared this information through a statement released recently.
Dakota Hunter, who serves as the vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, conveyed the findings of the medical evaluation on Saturday via a news release.
Busch, a celebrated two-time NASCAR champion, tragically passed at the age of 41 on Thursday. This occurred just a day after he lost consciousness while using a Chevrolet simulator.
Sepsis is recognized as a critical medical emergency by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It arises when the body mounts an extreme and unregulated response to an infection, leading the immune system to inadvertently attack its own tissues and organs.
Under normal circumstances, the immune system releases chemicals to combat invading pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. However, in the case of sepsis, this response becomes excessive, resulting in widespread inflammation, the formation of tiny blood clots, and leaking blood vessels.
Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.
However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.
Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.
“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics,” Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”
Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver’s health — but most don’t want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.
“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ … So you try to power through it the best you can.”
Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.
All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.
___
AP auto racing: