Kyle Busch Dead, NASCAR Great & Former WWE 24/7 Champion Dies At 41 Following Illness
NASCAR great and former WWE 24/7 Champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41.
The news broke on Thursday through a joint statement released by the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR. It indicated that Busch had unexpectedly died after being hospitalized with a severe illness.
"Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch," the statement read. "A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR's highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal 'Rowdy Nation.' Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha's parents, Kurt and all of Kyle's family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon."
Further updates are expected to be shared in the future, but for now, the Busch family has asked for privacy as well as thoughts and prayers. Busch was best known for his contributions in the motorsports world, where he became a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. At the time of his death, Busch was in the midst of his 22nd full-time season for NASCAR's top division.
Wrestling fans may remember Busch for his brief reign as WWE 24/7 Champion in December 2019. Busch won the title by pinning WWE veteran R-Truth on "WWE Raw," with former NASCAR star Michael Waltrip serving as the guest referee; Truth regained the title late the same night. Prior to this, Busch notably appeared as a special guest host for "Raw" in 2009.
We at Wrestling Inc. would like to send our condolences to Busch's family and friends.