Busch experienced shortness of breath, felt he was overheating and was coughing up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained by AP.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Legendary NASCAR driver Kyle Busch died Thursday at age 41, just three days before he was set to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
As Busch’s friends, family and fans mourn his death and pay tribute to his legacy, details remain limited on exactly what happened.
Here’s what we know so far about the events leading up to his death.
According to a joint statement released by the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR, Busch died after he was hospitalized for what his family called a “severe illness.”
Busch had been suffering a sinus cold earlier this month that was apparently worsened by the intense G-forces of racing, but it is unclear whether this was related to his death.
Officials have not released a cause of death as of Saturday morning.
Sources told Associated Press that Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was rushed to a hospital in Charlotte.
A 911 call obtained by the Associated Press on Friday revealed that Busch reportedly experienced shortness of breath, felt like he was overheating and was coughing up blood the day before his death.
The call was placed Wednesday afternoon from the General Motors training facility.
“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 told emergency dispatchers.
Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and the caller 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 CEO Steve O’Donnell addressed reporters at a news conference Friday but declined to answer any questions about the cause of death or any health problems.
Busch’s unexpected death is just the latest tragedy to hit NASCAR. Last December, former driver Greg Biffle, his wife and two children and three others died in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina.
The announcement of Busch’s death came after teams had already left Gasoline Alley on media day at the Indianapolis 500.
NASCAR officials confirmed to The Associated Press the Coca-Cola 600 will go on as planned Sunday. Speedway officials said they plan to honor Busch “in some way” this weekend at the Coca-Cola 600, but details were still being ironed out.
Drivers were expected to begin making their way to Charlotte Motorsports Speedway in Concord on Friday with practice and qualifying beginning on Saturday. Earlier in the day, RCR had announced that Austin Hill would replace Busch in the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Richard Childress Racing is temporarily retiring Kyle Busch’s No. 8 Cup Series car — at least until the late driver’s 11-year-old son Brexton is ready to take over behind the wheel.
Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s three national series — more than any driver in history. He won Cup season championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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