Kyle Busch Was Coughing Up Blood and Struggling to Breathe When 911 Call Was Made
The NASCAR driver was at a training facility in Concord, N.C. one day before his death on Thursday, May 21
Kyle Busch on May 1 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.Credit : James Gilbert/Getty
Kyle Busch was coughing up blood and struggling to breathe when 911 was called on Wednesday, May 20, according to audio obtained by PEOPLE
Busch was at a training facility in Concord, N.C. at the time
Busch, 41, died on Thursday, May 21
Kyle Busch was coughing up blood and lying on the floor of a bathroom when an ambulance was called on his behalf on Wednesday, May 20 at a training facility in Concord, N.C., according to audio from a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE.
“I’ve got an individual that’s [got] shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told emergency responders at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The operator asked if Busch, 41, was conscious to which the caller responded: “He is awake. He’s awake on the bathroom floor right now.”
TMZ and the New York Post were first to report on the 911 call.
The audio comes after an earlier report from the Associated Press in which sources told the outlet that the NASCAR driver was found unresponsive inside a Chevrolet racing simulator.
Kyle Busch on May 15 after his win at Dover Motor Speedway.Sean Gardner/GettyBusch was transported to a hospital and later died on Thursday, May 21, hours after his family announced that he was “undergoing treatment” at a hospital and would miss two races in North Carolina this weekend.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ was set to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the speedway in Concord on Friday, May 22 and on Sunday, May 24 at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Busch had been battling lingering respiratory issues over the past few weeks.
After his win at the 2026 Ecosave 200 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Del. last Friday, May 15 — his 69th NASCAR Truck Series race victory — he explained to reporters that he was still having symptoms in a video shared by The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck.
“I’m still not great,” Busch said. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
Five days earlier, the Las Vegas native was said to be suffering from a “sinus cold” during his run at Watkins Glen International, where he requested medical attention after finishing eighth.
Busch was heard asking his team over the radio to have a doctor meet him at his bus in the garage area.
“Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He’s the Kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please,” Busch said, later adding, “I’m gonna need a shot.”
Busch’s family announced his death alongside NASCAR on Thursday evening.
“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” a joint statement from NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing and the Busch family read.
“Kyle was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans,” the statement continued. “Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series.”
