Days after the sudden passing of Kyle Busch, older brother Kurt met with the doctors who attempted to save his life. The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion was told his younger brother’s death was “one in a million,” making it more difficult to come to terms with.
Kyle Busch, the winningest overall driver in NASCAR history, died on May 21 after a case of pneumonia progressed into sepsis. Busch had just won his final NASCAR race in the Craftsman Truck Series at Dover six days prior.
Kurt Busch on brother Kyle’s death: ‘So frustrating and difficult to accept’
In an article by ESPN reporter Robert Klemko, Kurt Busch recalls one of the doctors telling him how rare it is for his younger brother to succumb to the illness he was battling. Busch said the doctor told him it was a “one in a million” occurrence.
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“That’s what makes all of this so frustrating and difficult to accept,” Kurt said.
Kurt went on to tell ESPN that Kyle’s passing was a consequence of an “ambitious plan to stay competitive” and ultimately get the opportunity to race against his son, Brexton, in NASCAR.
“That’s the power Kyle wanted to have. … Why not take a week off, or take a couple weeks off to regroup? … My brother’s mentality was perfect for the end of his career to try to time it out to where his racing would coincide with Brexton. And that way Brexton’s getting the utmost attention from a current driver to develop him faster, quicker, stronger,” Kurt said.
Unfortunately, Kyle Busch’s ambitions turned into tragedy. Despite feeling ill, “Rowdy” continued to race on to keep his aspirations alive to one day race alongside Brexton in NASCAR competition.
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“He just worked and worked and worked, and unfortunately, a tragedy happened,” Kurt Busch said.
Earlier this year, Kyle Busch inducted older brother Kurt into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Throughout his full-time Cup career (2001-2022), Busch won the 2004 championship and 34 Cup Series races, most notably the 2017 Daytona 500.
Kurt Busch featured in NASCAR documentary for first interview since Kyle’s death
The USA Network recently launched a new NASCAR documentary titled “NASCAR Americana,” a three-part series that airs after the Cup Series race.
The second episode was released following last Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond. Titled “Family Bonds,” it features Kurt Busch’s first sit-down interview since the tragic passing of his brother, Kyle.
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As he fought back emotions, Kurt Busch reflected on the pre-race moment at the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year as the NASCAR community came together to honor Kyle Busch and support his family.
“To have that moment of symbolization for Kyle and to see Brexton standing there, it was a moment of, ‘Wow, he’s gone. We’re not going to get him back,'” Kurt said.
Last Saturday, Kurt Busch earned what he described as an emotional win in an IROC race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The 48-year-old edged Jimmie Johnson for the victory by 0.002 seconds.
Kurt Busch was forced to retire in 2022 after a crash at Pocono left him with a concussion. At the time, Busch was piloting the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.
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