May 22 (UPI) — NASCAR’s Kyle Busch was short of breath, overheating and coughing up blood the night before his death, according to a 911 call obtained Friday by UPI.
The emergency call was made Wednesday afternoon from General Motors Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, N.C. An incident report said that Cabarrus County medical supervisor responded to an incident that involvied a man with breathing problems.
The name of the caller was redacted in the audio obtained from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.
NASCAR announced Thursday that Busch died after a brief illness. He was 41. Neither the auto racing company nor Busch’s racing team or family have disclosed his cause of death.
“I’ve got an individual with shortness of breath,” an unidentified man said in the 911 audio. “Very hot. Thinks he’s going to pass out and producing a little blood, coughing up some blood.”
The man said Busch was awake and on a bathroom floor at the time of the call. He then advised first responders on how to locate Busch at the facility. He requested for them to turn their sirens off before arrival.
Cabarrus County dispatchers noted a time of 5:32 p.m. EDT Wednesday in response to the call.
Busch’s family announced at 10:23 a.m. Thursday that he had “experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization” and would not race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Richard Childress Racing, which wished Busch a “safe and speedy recovery,” announced that Austin Hill would drive his No. 8 Chevrolet.
NASCAR announced his death about seven hours later, sending a shockwave of sadness into the community and beyond.
Busch’s symptoms first occurred about two weeks after he requested attention from a doctor during a race May 10 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Fox reported that Busch was dealing with “a sinus cold” the week of that race. Busch requested to receive “a shot” from a doctor after the event.
He went on to finish eighth at the Go Bowling at The Glen.
Busch won a truck series race five days later in Dover, Del. He finished 17th two days later, when he participated in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race on the same Dover International Speedway track.
On Friday, tributes flowed in in the form of heartfelt messages from fellow drivers and fan gestures, including a flood of donations to the Bundle of Joy charity, which Busch and his wife, Samantha, founded. Many of the donations were in the amount of $18.08, references to Busch’s car numbers during his racing career.
Bundle of Joy provides monetary grants for couples struggling with infertility and the costs of In vitro fertilization treatments.
NASCAR and its drivers, teams and fans are expected to honor Busch throughout the weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. On Friday, the facility projected an image of Busch on its Jumbotron, including his lifespan, 1985-2026.
Busch’s teammate, Austin Dillon, detailed his relationship with the the two-time Cup Series champion. He also promised to be present for Busch’s family, which includes 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix. The Busch children celebrated their birthdays earlier this month.
“I can’t thank you enough, KB,” Dillon wrote on Instagram. “You are the ultimate racer and my favorite teammate and driver of all time. I always felt like I had your back and you had mine.”
Members from Busch’s team did not immediately respond when asked for details about his death or hospitalization. NASCAR officials also did not respond when asked if there are any investigations into his participation in last weekend’s races.
Neither the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner nor the Mecklenburg County Examiner’s Office provided a preliminary cause of death for Busch, who held the record for the most victories (234) across NASCAR’s three series — Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck.
The 2026 Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 will air at 6 p.m. Sunday on Prime Video. The Truck Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be the first race of the weekend in Concord. That race will air at 7:30 p.m. Friday from Charlotte Motor Speedway and air on FS1.
Truck Series drivers will race in the Charbroil 300 at 5 p.m. Saturday in Concord. That race will air on the CW.
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