Charlotte, N.C.-- Love him, hate him or just tolerate him, NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch was the real deal – a race car driver with immense talent whether racing on NASCAR’s superspeedways or at the country’s numerous short tracks. Hospitalized earlier because of what was called a “severe illness,” Busch passed away Thursday, May 21, at the age of 41 - shocking the entire motorsports world and, for that matter, the entire sports world.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup champion driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019, has the most all-time wins across all three NASCAR national series with 234 victories, including 63 in Cup, 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 66 in Truck series competition.
Earning the nickname “Rowdy” for his always seemingly quest for victory, Busch set the record for most wins in a season in the O’Reilly series with thirteen in 2010 and holds the overall, all-time, record with his 102 wins. He won the O’Reilly Auto Parts championship in 2009. He also has the most wins in the Truck Series with 69. Busch is the only driver in history to have 60 wins in each of NASCAR's top three series.
Two of Busch’s Cup victories came at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., winning there in 2008 and 2018. The 2018 celebration was held in one of the speedway’s garages as weather threatened the speedway.
With the Chicagoland Speedway falling off the NASCAR schedule in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic, Busch competed in the Chicago street races when NASCAR returned to Chicago in 2023, 2024 and 2025 with two fifth-place finishes in his Richard Childress Racing No. 8 being his best efforts on the streets of the “Windy City.”
Busch, a 16-year-old youngster from Las Vegas, made his NASCAR debut in the truck series in 2001, driving a Jack Roush Ford. At the old Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, Ill., in August, the newcomer led 17 laps and was in position to win the race until he ran out of gas with a dozen laps or so to go. He earned the respect of a lot of drivers and fans that day in only his second NASCAR truck start.
Busch scored his first major victory in Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) competition, winning at Tennessee’ Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2003, driving a Rick Hendricks Chevrolet.
Busch made his first Xfinity division, then known as the NASCAR Busch Series, start in 2003 and his first Cup start in 2004, driving for Joe Nemechek (Busch) and Rick Hendricks (Cup).
Besides Busch’s for sure Hall of Fame credentials, Busch raced in numerous short track stock car events throughout the country. He raced stock cars full time with the American Speed Association in 2002, competing at tracks including Wisconsin International Raceway and Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin, Hawkeye Down in Iowa and Salem Speedway, Illiana Motor Speedway and Winchester Speedway in Indiana.
Gaining national notoriety, he would make a special appearance at a short track from time to time, going back to his roots that started in Las Vegas. He would win the Slinger Nationals at Wisconsin’s Slinger Super Speedway and the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., twice. He claimed other short track victories including the Oxford 250 at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway, the Winchester 400 at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway, the Howie Lettow Memorial at the “Milwaukee Mile” and even won on dirt at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, capturing the special “Prelude to the Dream” race in 2012.
Busch, the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Fame member, Kurt Busch, is survived by his wife Samantha and children, son Brexton and daughter Lennix.