NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Dies At 41
On Thursday, May 21, the NASCAR community suffered a devastating loss when Kyle Busch died at the age of 41.
NASCAR confirmed the tragic news in a statement, while Busch’s family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR shared a heartfelt joint tribute honoring his legacy and the lasting mark he left on the sport.
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. He was 41 years old.
We extend our deepest condolences to the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and the entire… pic.twitter.com/FARIF6OKrw
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2026
Remembering A NASCAR Legend
Kyle Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha Busch, and their two children, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4. Known by fans as “Rowdy,” Busch was one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history.
During his legendary career, he captured two NASCAR Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019, earning a reputation for his fearless driving style and record-breaking success across NASCAR’s top divisions.
Born in Las Vegas, Busch began racing as a teenager and quickly climbed through the ranks of the sport. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2004 with Hendrick Motorsports before spending 15 seasons as the face of Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota’s NASCAR program. In 2023, he joined Richard Childress Racing.
Busch held numerous NASCAR records, including the most combined wins across NASCAR’s three national touring series. He earned 63 Cup Series victories, more than 100 Xfinity Series wins, and nearly 70 Truck Series wins during his career.
View this post on Instagram
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reflects On His Relationship With Kyle Busch
Just hours after his passing, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared an emotional tribute in honor of the late driver. Earnhardt explained details regarding their relationship, saying he hoped for them to become better friends and improve their tumultuous relationship.
“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,” Earnhardt shared. “But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams.”
On Tuesday (May 26), Earnhardt took to his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media, to share more about their final texts to one another.
“I was texting with him the day before he passed away about getting together this Thursday to bring his seat for his late model over to my shop,” Earnhardt shared.
Earnhardt revealed that Busch had major plans for their collaboration, including one idea that would have completely stunned NASCAR fans.
“And he goes, ‘I wanna run the Dale Jr. 8’ and I was like, ‘You got it. That’s what’s on it right now. We’ll run the Dale Jr. 8,’ ” he continued.
Earnhardt shared that eventually, the two drivers “took the time to figure out our differences,” admitting that because of Busch’s efforts, the two were able to do so.
You can listen to his full podcast episode below.
