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The world learned the cause of death for NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, whose death shook the racing world and has left it trembling and mourning for days.
Busch died May 21 after being hospitalized for what was described only as a "severe illness" the day before. The Busch family released a statement May 23 that the popular driver's death was caused by "severe pneumonia (that) progressed into sepsis," a terrifying diagnosis that causes the body to attack itself as it fights infection.
"Rowdy" was among the most beloved (and sometimes hated) personalities in the sport. Busch, 41, was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who won more races among NASCAR's three national series — the Cup Series, the second-tier O'Reilly Series and the Truck Series — than anyone in history. And even that wasn't enough: Busch also had been in talks for year about attempting "The Double," driving the famed Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, like his brother Kurt Busch did in 2014.
Busch was planning on racing in the Truck Series race and the Coke 600 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His No. 8 car was pulled from active duty, saved for his 11-year-old son, Brexton, if and when he decides to give NASCAR a try. As Richard Childress Racing's remodeled No. 33 car was brought to the garage at Charlotte, the other teams gave an impromptu moment of silence in honor of Busch.
Here's what we know about Busch's cause of death and what comes next:
Kyle Busch had been battling medical issues for weeks leading to his death May 21. Near the end of the May 10 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, Busch was heard on the Fox broadcast requesting medical assistance. "Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel?" he radioed his team. "Tell him I need him after the race, please." Busch can later be heard requesting a shot of some kind.
Fox broadcaster Mike Joy said Busch had been battling a "sinus cold" throughout the week. After winning the Truck Series race in Dover on May 15, Busch said in an interview he was still feeling the effects of what was ailing him the previous week. “I’m still not great,” he said. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
Kyle Busch died Thursday, May 21. Busch's family posted that morning that he had been taken to a Charlotte-area hospital for a "severe illness."
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization," read the family's post from 10:23 a.m. May 21. "He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”
A report by The Associated Press said Busch was using the Chevrolet driving simulator Wednesday, May 20, in Concord, North Carolina, where Charlotte Motor Speedway is housed. The AP said he became unresponsive while testing in the simulator and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died a day later.
According to the 911 call obtained by USA TODAY, Busch was coughing up blood, short of breath, very hot and laying on the bathroom floor at the General Motors Charlotte Technical Center.
The Busch family announced in a statement May 23 that Kyle Busch died of sepsis set on by severe pneumonia. ""The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications," the statement reads.
Pneumonia is an infection caused by bacteria or a virus that causes inflammation and fluid to build up in air sacs in the lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It makes breathing difficult and can cause fever and coughing. Complications from pneumonia include bacteria building up in the bloodstream, which can lead to sepsis and organ failure. Severe cases can require hospitalization. Viral pneumonia can often go away on its own, but bacterial pneumonia can lead to more serious health issues.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sepsis is a life-threatening overwhelming reaction of the body to an infection that causes the immune system to damage healthy tissues and organs. It can cause a chain reaction of inflammation throughout the body, leading to tissue damage, multiple organ failure and death. Septic shock can cause death in as little as 12 hours.
Emergency responders were called to a GM facility in Concord, North Carolina on May 20, the day before Kyle Busch died. A 911 call obtained by USA TODAY described Busch as laying on a bathroom floor awake but in distress. “I’ve got an individual that’s (experiencing) shortness of breath, very hot and thinks he’s going to pass out and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told the dispatcher.
The caller asked that emergency responders turn off their sirens when approaching the facility. Busch was shortly taken to a Charlotte hospital, where he died the following day.
Kyle Busch is survived by his wife of 15 years, Samantha, and their two children: son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4. NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing asked to respect the family's privacy after Busch was hospitalized. Samantha Busch has not made a public statement since Busch's death; neither has Kyle's brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 2017 Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch.
Richard Childress Racing announced May 22 that it would pull Kyle Busch's No. 8 car and replace it with the No. 33. The team further said it would hold the No. 8 for Busch's son, Brexton, should he make the jump to NASCAR one day.
"Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry," read the statement from RCR. "No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."
Busch's final social media post came on May 18, when he celebrated his son Brexton's 11th birthday. The eldest of Kyle's two children, Brexton already has gotten into racing like his dad, winning his first box stock race in 2020 at just 5 years old, according to his website. The post came just three days after Busch won the NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover, what would be the final victory of his career.
Race fans and drivers have let their emotions over the loss of Kyle Busch flow on social media in the days since his death. Charlotte Motor Speedway held a moment of silence before the Truck race Friday night, May 22, before the race was postponed due to inclement weather. As the No. 33 car, previously Busch's No. 8, was unloaded to the garage May 23 for qualifying, other teams greeted the team in solemn silence.
The Carolina Hurricanes also held a moment silence before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in Raleigh, held mere hours after Busch's death was announced. The Indianapolis 500 will honor Busch on lap 18 of the race May 24, commemorating his former racing number.
When news came down that Busch was withdrawing from the race May 24 at Charlotte, Richard Childress Racing announced Austin Hill would take his place in the No. 8 car. Hill drives the No. 21 car for RCR in the second-tier O'Reilly Series. In February, he won the United Rentals 300 (the last race at Daytona International Speedway before the Daytona 500) for the fourth time in five years. The 32-year-old from Winston, Georgia has appeared in two NASCAR Cup Series races this year and also won the 2020 Truck Series championship.
Busch was also scheduled to race in the Truck Series race, rescheduled for May 23 after rain washed out the original race date. Corey Day will take Busch's spot in the No. 7 car at Charlotte. Because qualifying was canceled and Busch won the most recent Truck race, Day will start on the pole.
Contributing: Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal; Kristie Ackert, Scooby Axson, Elizabeth Flores, Victoria Hernandez andEllen J. Horrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What we know about how Kyle Busch died, sepsis cause of death
Continue reading...
Busch died May 21 after being hospitalized for what was described only as a "severe illness" the day before. The Busch family released a statement May 23 that the popular driver's death was caused by "severe pneumonia (that) progressed into sepsis," a terrifying diagnosis that causes the body to attack itself as it fights infection.
"Rowdy" was among the most beloved (and sometimes hated) personalities in the sport. Busch, 41, was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who won more races among NASCAR's three national series — the Cup Series, the second-tier O'Reilly Series and the Truck Series — than anyone in history. And even that wasn't enough: Busch also had been in talks for year about attempting "The Double," driving the famed Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, like his brother Kurt Busch did in 2014.
Busch was planning on racing in the Truck Series race and the Coke 600 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His No. 8 car was pulled from active duty, saved for his 11-year-old son, Brexton, if and when he decides to give NASCAR a try. As Richard Childress Racing's remodeled No. 33 car was brought to the garage at Charlotte, the other teams gave an impromptu moment of silence in honor of Busch.
Here's what we know about Busch's cause of death and what comes next:
What happened to Kyle Busch?
Kyle Busch had been battling medical issues for weeks leading to his death May 21. Near the end of the May 10 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, Busch was heard on the Fox broadcast requesting medical assistance. "Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel?" he radioed his team. "Tell him I need him after the race, please." Busch can later be heard requesting a shot of some kind.
Fox broadcaster Mike Joy said Busch had been battling a "sinus cold" throughout the week. After winning the Truck Series race in Dover on May 15, Busch said in an interview he was still feeling the effects of what was ailing him the previous week. “I’m still not great,” he said. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
When did Kyle Busch die?
Kyle Busch died Thursday, May 21. Busch's family posted that morning that he had been taken to a Charlotte-area hospital for a "severe illness."
“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization," read the family's post from 10:23 a.m. May 21. "He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”
How did Kyle Busch die?
A report by The Associated Press said Busch was using the Chevrolet driving simulator Wednesday, May 20, in Concord, North Carolina, where Charlotte Motor Speedway is housed. The AP said he became unresponsive while testing in the simulator and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died a day later.
According to the 911 call obtained by USA TODAY, Busch was coughing up blood, short of breath, very hot and laying on the bathroom floor at the General Motors Charlotte Technical Center.
Kyle Busch cause of death
The Busch family announced in a statement May 23 that Kyle Busch died of sepsis set on by severe pneumonia. ""The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications," the statement reads.
What is severe pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection caused by bacteria or a virus that causes inflammation and fluid to build up in air sacs in the lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It makes breathing difficult and can cause fever and coughing. Complications from pneumonia include bacteria building up in the bloodstream, which can lead to sepsis and organ failure. Severe cases can require hospitalization. Viral pneumonia can often go away on its own, but bacterial pneumonia can lead to more serious health issues.
What is sepsis?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sepsis is a life-threatening overwhelming reaction of the body to an infection that causes the immune system to damage healthy tissues and organs. It can cause a chain reaction of inflammation throughout the body, leading to tissue damage, multiple organ failure and death. Septic shock can cause death in as little as 12 hours.
Kyle Busch 911 call details
Emergency responders were called to a GM facility in Concord, North Carolina on May 20, the day before Kyle Busch died. A 911 call obtained by USA TODAY described Busch as laying on a bathroom floor awake but in distress. “I’ve got an individual that’s (experiencing) shortness of breath, very hot and thinks he’s going to pass out and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told the dispatcher.
The caller asked that emergency responders turn off their sirens when approaching the facility. Busch was shortly taken to a Charlotte hospital, where he died the following day.
How is Kyle Busch's wife?
Kyle Busch is survived by his wife of 15 years, Samantha, and their two children: son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4. NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing asked to respect the family's privacy after Busch was hospitalized. Samantha Busch has not made a public statement since Busch's death; neither has Kyle's brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 2017 Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch.
Was Kyle Busch's car number retired?
Richard Childress Racing announced May 22 that it would pull Kyle Busch's No. 8 car and replace it with the No. 33. The team further said it would hold the No. 8 for Busch's son, Brexton, should he make the jump to NASCAR one day.
"Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry," read the statement from RCR. "No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."
Busch's final social media post came on May 18, when he celebrated his son Brexton's 11th birthday. The eldest of Kyle's two children, Brexton already has gotten into racing like his dad, winning his first box stock race in 2020 at just 5 years old, according to his website. The post came just three days after Busch won the NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover, what would be the final victory of his career.
Kyle Busch tributes pour in
Race fans and drivers have let their emotions over the loss of Kyle Busch flow on social media in the days since his death. Charlotte Motor Speedway held a moment of silence before the Truck race Friday night, May 22, before the race was postponed due to inclement weather. As the No. 33 car, previously Busch's No. 8, was unloaded to the garage May 23 for qualifying, other teams greeted the team in solemn silence.
The Carolina Hurricanes also held a moment silence before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in Raleigh, held mere hours after Busch's death was announced. The Indianapolis 500 will honor Busch on lap 18 of the race May 24, commemorating his former racing number.
Who is driving for Kyle Busch this weekend?
When news came down that Busch was withdrawing from the race May 24 at Charlotte, Richard Childress Racing announced Austin Hill would take his place in the No. 8 car. Hill drives the No. 21 car for RCR in the second-tier O'Reilly Series. In February, he won the United Rentals 300 (the last race at Daytona International Speedway before the Daytona 500) for the fourth time in five years. The 32-year-old from Winston, Georgia has appeared in two NASCAR Cup Series races this year and also won the 2020 Truck Series championship.
Busch was also scheduled to race in the Truck Series race, rescheduled for May 23 after rain washed out the original race date. Corey Day will take Busch's spot in the No. 7 car at Charlotte. Because qualifying was canceled and Busch won the most recent Truck race, Day will start on the pole.
Contributing: Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal; Kristie Ackert, Scooby Axson, Elizabeth Flores, Victoria Hernandez andEllen J. Horrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What we know about how Kyle Busch died, sepsis cause of death
Continue reading...
