NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch sat down with Craig Melvin on Friday’s edition of TODAY Show, sharing emotional details about the death of his brother and fellow NASCAR legend, Kyle Busch.
At just 41 years old, Kyle died of sepsis brought on by bacterial pneumonia in the middle of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season … and just days after winning a NASCAR Truck race at Dover. Among those he left behind: his wife Samantha, 11-year-old son Brexton (who is continuing his racing career), and four-year-old daughter Lennix.
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Along with his parents Tom and Gaye, Kyle also left behind an older brother, one he raced against and even clashed with on-track during their extraordinary careers as NASCAR drivers.
After suffering a medical emergency at the GM Technical Center where he was meant to be on the sim preparing for the next race, Kyle was rushed to a nearby hospital.
“I was there at the hospital. I was there all day, hoping, praying, hoping for a turnaround,” remembered Kurt, with tears in his eyes.
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“My dad wanted to remember him in the way that he wanted to remember him,” he continued, explaining how their father Tom coped with the tragic reality of the situation. As for Kurt, he went into the room and spoke some final words to his younger brother.
“I said, ‘I got you man. Come on. I got you. I got you, Come on. Be strong.”
He lamented that it “just wasn’t fair,” and then reflected on what he misses most about Kyle.
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“I loved (how) on-track, him and I were carbon copies of each other,” said Kurt. “I just miss the on-track camaraderie. We could speak on track without saying a word … I miss the words that we never spoke to each other and the vibe that we had on track.”
Kurt also spoke about how hard it can be for drivers to get out of the car, and have trained themselves to push through. The NASCAR Cup schedule is grueling, with 38 weeks of racing and 36 points-paying events. Kurt himself was forced to end his own career abruptly after suffering a concussion in a 2022 qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway.
This year began on a high note for Kurt before tragedy struck in May, as he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January. The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion was introduced by none other than his little brother, Kyle.
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“I couldn’t be more proud of my brother, Kurt,” said Kyle while introducing his older brother Kurt at the NASCAR Hall earlier this year. “We’re just two kids from Las Vegas, Nevada, raised in a blue-collar, hard-working family where hard work wasn’t optional. We were taught to grind it out and to make it happen. None of this came easy, and in this sport, it shouldn’t. Watching Kurt believe in himself long before the results ever showed up has been an incredible experience for me to learn from. This Hall of Fame induction isn’t just about wins or stats, it’s about the years of effort and resilience and the heart that it took to get here. He earned every bit of this and I’m so proud to call him my brother.”
Back to the TODAY Show piece, Kurt went on to praise Kyle’s young son Brexton, who continues to race weekly as he deals with the loss of his father. In mid-July, Brexton returned to Victory Lane just two months after his father’s passing. Kurt praised Brexton as a ‘prodigy’ and truly believes “he can be a big star in the world of motorsports.” Kurt expressed a desire to help Brexton however he can as he continues his journey up the racing ladder.
People often approach Kurt over the loss, and he doesn’t mind them “opening up their souls” as everyone works through the grief that lingers following the loss of the winningest driver in NASCAR national series history.
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You can watch the full interview below, and hear more about what Kurt had to say:
Read Also:
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Kurt Busch releases first public statement after death of brother Kyle
Brexton Busch earns first win since father Kyle Busch passed away
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