Danica Patrick is among those in the motorsports world to publicly mourn Kyle Busch, who died suddenly Thursday, May 21 at 41 years old.
Patrick, a former NASCAR and IndyCar driver, made an appearance on a live airing of “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Friday to speak on the “devastating loss” of Busch and looked back on his legacy.
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“I think that we’re all just shocked. We’re sad,” Patrick said. “… I feel like it hasn’t even hit. It’s just something that no one expected. When I first heard something was wrong, I thought he was driving something, but it was something completely different.”
The Busch family announced on Saturday, May 23 that the two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner died of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
The racing community is paying homage to two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch after his sudden and shocking death at age 41.
See the legendary driver remembered, starting here at Charlotte Motor Speedways on May 23, 2026, in Concord, North Carolina.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
The racing community is paying homage to two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch after his sudden and shocking death at age 41.
See the legendary driver remembered, starting here at Charlotte Motor Speedways on May 23, 2026, in Concord, North Carolina.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
Fans in the grandstands display a sign in tribute to the passing of Kyle Busch prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina.
(Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
A detail view of Kyle Busch’s signature on the #7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, driven by Corey Day prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina.
(Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
A makeshift memorial was made in front of the Daytona International Speedway tours building for NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, May 22, 2026, who died suddenly May 21, 2026.
(Nadia Zomorodian, News-Journal)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
A detail view of the “51 Rowdy 1985 – 2026” sticker in tribute to the passing of Kyle Busch prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina.
(Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
A detail view of the “Kyle Busch 1985-202” sticker in tribute to the passing of Kyle Busch prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina.
(David Jensen, Getty Images)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
The pylon is lit to honor NASCAR driver Kyle Busch on Friday, May 22, 2026, on Carb Day ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
(Grace Hollars/IndyStar)
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Racing community honors Kyle Busch ahead of Coca-Cola 600
A tribute and moment of silence for NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was held Friday, May 22, 2026, on Carb Day ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Busch died Thursday at the age of 41.
(Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar)
“Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch was a figure,” Patrick continued. “He was a polarizing figure, and he was an incredible driver that will go down as being one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever. That’s a loss in another way, too.”
Patrick added that while they competed together in NASCAR’s top tier from 2012-2018, “he was a lot faster than me most of the time.”
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“When a driver is out there on track, this is almost like an altered state of focus,” Patrick said. “The drivers that could access that next level of like, ‘go mode’ were able to be the best drivers. In my mind I was thinking about him, but he was able to get to that next level so often. He was just incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Danica Patrick calls death of Kyle Busch a ‘devastating loss’
