05/23/26 11:59:00
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05/23 11:58 CDT Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis,
his family says
Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, his family says
By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) --- Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into
sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according
to a statement released by his family.
Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release
the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing
out in a Chevrolet simulator.
Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the
body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune
system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like
bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive.
The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and
make blood vessels leak.
Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May
10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a "shot" from a doctor
after the race.
However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend,
and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.
Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday
when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte,
several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller
calmly told the dispatch: "I've got an individual that's (got) shortness of
breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out, and is producing a little bit
of blood, coughing up some blood."
The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and
told dispatch "he is awake," according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County
Sheriff's Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders
should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn't feeling well recently.
"Yes, but I won't go into any specifics," Keselowski said. "But then when he
ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in
my mind."
Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on
a driver's health --- but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being
replaced.
"There's no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody
else's seat if we weren't feeling well, and I think every driver feels that
pressure," Keselowski said. "All athletes do. It's not unique to NASCAR in that
sense. We're all thinking to ourselves, ?I don't wanna be replaced.' ... So you
try to power through it the best you can."
Busch won 234 races across NASCAR's top three series over his two-decade
career, more than any driver in history.
All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday's race will race with a black No. 8
decal on their car to honor Busch.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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