A medical emergency inside a Chevrolet racing simulator in North Carolina is now at the center of new questions surrounding the death of NASCAR star Kyle Busch at 41.
Busch became unresponsive Wednesday while testing in the simulator in Concord, just outside Charlotte, according to the Associated Press. The AP report said several people familiar with the situation confirmed the details.
Busch’s family said Thursday that he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness” before announcing his death later that day. An official cause of death has not been released. Multiple reports said Busch had been dealing with sickness in the days leading up to the incident.
The simulator session would have been part of Busch’s preparation for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of the sport’s marquee events. High-end racing simulators are designed to mimic the motion and forces drivers feel on track, helping teams dial in setups before race weekend.
Chevrolet describes its system as being “as close as drivers can get to racing without actually strapping in,” with tracks scanned to high resolution to replicate bumps and surface changes.
The simulator emergency came after a moment that’s now drawing renewed attention from fans. During a NASCAR Cup Series race on May 10 in upstate New York, Busch radioed for medical assistance from inside his car.
With 38 laps to go, he told his team: “Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He’s the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please.”
When asked whether he needed the doctor at the car or at his bus, Busch replied: “Uh, bus. I’m going to need a shot.”
JUST IN: NASCAR legend Kyle Busch has DlED at the age of 41 following a hospitalization with a “severe illness”
In-race communications from a recent race, seen below, show Busch requesting a doctor due to a “sinus cold”
41 is FAR too young.
Pray for the Busch family
pic.twitter.com/vW2HxgxyXN
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 21, 2026
According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been battling a sinus cold that was worsened by the intense forces and elevation changes at the road course. He finished that race eighth.
Busch continued to compete in the weeks that followed. He raced at Dover last weekend and won a Trucks Series event for Spire Motorsports. He then finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star race, which became his final start.
After notching his 69th career Trucks Series victory at Dover, Busch was asked how many more wins he wanted before stepping away.
He answered: “You take whatever you can get, man,” before adding, “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all – trust me.”
“Because you never know when the last one is”
– Kyle Busch, last week
Wow pic.twitter.com/vIkBsD9zL3
— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) May 21, 2026
On May 16, five days before his death, Busch was asked whether he had recovered from what he believed was a nasty cough.
He said: “I had a pretty – you can kind of still hear it, I’m still not great,” and added, “But er, the cough was pretty substantial.”
It remains unclear whether those symptoms were connected to the cause of death.
Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. He is survived by his wife, Samantha, and their children, Brexton and Lennix. The family celebrated Brexton’s 11th birthday just three days before Busch’s passing, according to the report.
A cousin of Samantha Busch posted a statement on Facebook late Thursday night:
“Unexpectedly my cousin, Samantha’s husband, Kyle Busch, one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, who was known around the world and touched so many, has passed away today at 41 years old,” Alexander Dmitar Momcilovic wrote.
“He was a beautiful man, driver, father, husband and soul. We hold in our prayers, their entire family, including Samantha, my uncle Steve and Aunt Donney, Kyle’s brother, his father and his mother.
“I know they are feeling so much pain and unexpected shock at this time. We also hold in the most love Kyle and Samantha’s two young children Brexton and Lennix.”
Busch, long known to fans as “Rowdy” for his intensity and edge, broke through in the Cup Series in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year and went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 with Joe Gibbs Racing.
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