By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File, File)
Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at the age of 41 due to severe illness.
It’s a major loss to NASCAR. Busch’s death sent shockwaves, and racing fans haven’t felt this shocked over the death of a NASCAR racer since Dale Earnhardt Sr. Busch had two kids and a wife. What makes this news more heartbreaking is that his son recently turned 11 years old.
His family recently announced that Busch would not attend the race in Charlotte due to a severe illness. We didn’t think that he was seriously sick to the point where he lost his life. It’s unbelievable how fast we could be gone from this world. Could it be that Busch was sick for quite some time but decided to keep it quiet? We can only think and wonder how long he was suffering, unless this is a situation that attacked his health rapidly.
Busch finished ninth in NASCAR history with 63 wins in the Cup Series. He’s the brother of another great driver, Kurt, who won 34 Cup Series races and the 2017 Daytona 500. Kurt went into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Jan 2026. It’s a good thing that Kyle got to see his brother inducted into the hall.
Denny Hamlin, a former teammate of Kyle at Joe Gibbs Racing, shared his thoughts on Busch on social media and gave an interview with Michael Strahan.
“We’ve lost our Kobe Bryant,” Hamlin said. “Today we mourn. Forever we remember. Rest in peace, Kyle.”
“He kept our media members on their toes at all times. As a competitor, I can tell you, there’s no way that I would have the wins that I had without Kyle Busch as a teammate to push me to be better.”
Busch had tremendous speed and found ways to elevate speed in his races. He would make drivers change their approach. Busch challenged his teammates and opponents to step up their game. Busch wasn’t everyone’s favorite cup of tea because of his outspokenness and sometimes immaturity, but he was a good driver. He wasn’t for everyone, but his talent and knowledge of the sport earned him respect for his craft.
We hope his family rallies during this tough time, as his two kids are not teenagers. They’re still kids. NASCAR will most likely pay tribute to him before the race begins on Sunday.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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