Kyle Busch’s last text to the CEO of NASCAR two days before the death was revealed
Racing community mourns Kyle Busch: ‘Hard to understand’
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died suddenly at the age of 41, Fox News reports. The world of motor sports is expressing shock and sadness at his unexpected passing. Busch, known for his strong competitive spirit, leaves a deep legacy in racing, survived by his wife Samantha, and their two children. His colleagues remember him as a talented driver and a kind person.
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Kyle Busch wrote to NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell on Tuesday with a specific request, just 24 hours before the drop on the Chevrolet simulator.
Busch, 41, died on Thursday in a shock to the racing world. While the cause of death has not been released, a 911 call from the County Sheriff’s Office, obtained by Fox News and OutKick, paints a grim picture.
The two-time champion was in the bathroom coughing up blood and having trouble breathing, according to an unidentified man on the phone. Busch was cautious.
KYLE BUSCH ON ‘HANG OUT WITH SEAN HANNITY’
He was then transferred to a Charlotte hospital, where he died a day later.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, presented before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 1, 2026. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
O’Donnell, who was named CEO of NASCAR in April, received a text from Busch one day before all of this happened, and revealed it at a press conference on Friday.
Context of the text? The Truck Series, of course.
“What I’m looking back at is a text from Kyle on Tuesday, as only Kyle would – and I keep looking at it – and he said: ‘Hey, man, what do you think about the over-40 rule so you can compete in every Truck Series race next year?’
“I said, you know, we put that rule in place because he won so much, but when we looked at it and we had a meeting Wednesday inside, we thought, damn, that’s really good. We need Kyle in the truck series. It was two. He knew he could help the series, but I think he had a dream one day to race against his son in a national series event.
KYLE BUSCH’S 911 CALL REVEALED THE DRIVER COULDING BLOOD, LAST BREATHING IN THE BATHTUB.
“That was Kyle, always thinking about sports and moving forward.”
Busch was a two-time Cup champion and future Hall of Famer. He has been in the Cup Series since 2004, making 762 career starts with 63 wins. Busch won the championship in 2015 and 2019, and had 234 victories in all national NASCAR series.
He holds the all-time record for wins in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69).
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and his wife Samantha pose before the start of the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Oct. 14, 2018. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
His last NASCAR win came at Dover in the Truck Series eight days ago. He led 147 laps in what turned out to be a vintage Busch performance.
“You never know when the last one will be,” he said after the win.
NASCAR, THE RACING WORLD REFLECTS ON THE SHOCKING DEATH OF KYLE BUSCH AT 41: ‘I CAN’T UNDERSTAND THIS NEWS’
The law O’Donnell was talking about is unofficially known as the “Kyle Busch Law.” It went into effect in 2017, and limits how many truck races a NASCAR Cup Series driver with three or more years of experience can run in a season (eight).
Busch was leading in every stage of the race. Winning two races with Joe Gibbs Racing and finishing with a 63 Cup win. But his pure dominance of the Truck Series will undoubtedly be one of the things he is most remembered for.
Kyle Busch celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on April 23, 2023. (Butch Dill/AP)
So a simple, random text to Steve O’Donnell about it makes sense. Busch loved to compete. He loved to win. He liked to dominate.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
As O’Donnell said, he loved the game and was always thinking of ways to take it forward.
In a way, it was the perfect final script.
