Kyle Busch's cause of death has been released

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Tonight, we're learning new details regarding the death of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. ABC's Morgan Norwood leads us off tonight.

[00:00:08]Tonight, tributes around the track for NASCAR legend Kyle Busch. Busch's number eight freshly painted on the infield grass entering turn one on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track where he was set to race tomorrow. Today, his family said he died of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. Sepsis is essentially an overwhelming immune response usually to an infection that can cause some severe complications and be fatal. A 911 call made just hours before he died Thursday. Uh I've got an individual that's shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out and is uh he's got he's producing a little bit of blood.

[00:00:47]Coughing up some blood. The Associated Press says Busch was training in a racing simulator Wednesday, but taken to the hospital after becoming unresponsive. Just 2 weeks ago, Busch asking for a doctor to meet him following a race in New York. Can somebody try to find Phil Hazel?

[00:01:05]Doctor guy, tell him I need him after the race, please. I'm going to need a shot. Copy. He's going to he'll be in his bus. Race announcers said he suffered from a sinus cold all week, made worse by intense G-forces and elevation changes on the course. Last Saturday, he bounced back to win the Truck Series race at Dover and then finished 17th in the All-Star race Sunday. Busch winning 234 races across NASCAR's top three series, more than any other race driver in history. He entered NASCAR at 16 and was known for his brash, aggressive driving style and embraced the title Rowdy. And to me, Kyle Busch just defines what it means to be a racer in NASCAR. We watched him become a husband and a and a father the same way we watched him become a champion. And we all did that as a family. We are all part of that.

[00:01:53]Tomorrow, all 39 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series race will have Busch's number eight decal on their cars in tribute.

[00:02:00]Morgan Norwood, ABC News, New York.