NASCAR star Kyle Busch dies at 41 after a severe illness, his family says

U.S. Kyle Busch, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, dies at 41 after severe illness, family says By Jordan Freiman Jordan Freiman News Editor Jordan Freiman is a news editor for CBSNews.com. He covers breaking news, trending stories, sports and crime. Jordan has previously worked at Spin and Death and Taxes. Read Full Bio Jordan Freiman May 21, 2026 / 5:56 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, died Thursday after being hospitalized with what his family called a "severe illness." He was 41."We are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," his family, NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing said in a joint statement. "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation."This is a breaking news story. It will be updated. .component--type-recirculation { .item:nth-child(7), .card-recirc:nth-child(7) { display: none; } } #inline-recirc-item--id-2e1cac48-368c-4cb2-809c-0f8f104d2ac2, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-2e1cac48-368c-4cb2-809c-0f8f104d2ac2 { display: none; } #inline-recirc-item--id-2e1cac48-368c-4cb2-809c-0f8f104d2ac2 ~ .item:nth-child(7) { display: block; } In: Obituary NASCAR © 2026 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.