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Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch dies at 41
Kyle Busch died Thursday at the age of 41. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch dies at 41

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and 63-time race winner who captivated fans who was widely considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history, died Thursday. He was 41 years old. 

"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," NASCAR said in a social media post. "He was 41 years old. We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire motorsports community."

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2004 before embarking on his rookie campaign in 2005. He won 63 races over 762 starts, taking the Cup Series championship with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 and 2019. 

Busch is the winningest driver in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history and NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series history with 69 and 102 wins in each series, respectively. 

Busch was hospitalized with a severe illness, according to a statement put out on his social media account Thursday morning that announced he would not race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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