President Donald Trump paid tribute to Kyle Busch on Friday night following the NASCAR legend's sudden death. Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion and father of two, was hospitalized on Thursday with an unspecified severe illness. Hours later, NASCAR announced that he had died at the age of 41.
Trump, who previously commended Busch and his wife Samantha's campaigning for affordable in vitro fertilization treatment, praised the driver as a 'true talent' as he addressed the tragic passing.
Trump's Tribute on Truth Social
'The LEGENDARY NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch tragically and unexpectedly passed away yesterday,' the president began in a post shared to Truth Social. 'He was a true talent who loved NASCAR and its fans. Kyle was a WINNER! He was a two time Cup Champion, and holds the All Time Record for WINS in NASCAR’s Top Three series, and even won another just last weekend.'
'Kyle’s wife, Samantha, and their two beautiful children are in our thoughts and prayers. Samantha was at the White House in October, for IVF. She truly loved Kyle!'
He added: 'Rest in Peace Kyle Busch. You will always be a LEGEND!'
Busch's Career and Family
Busch, who competed in more than 760 races during a storied 24-year career, is survived by his wife, Samantha, and their two children, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, four. The family celebrated Brexton's birthday just three days before Busch's passing.
Away from the track, Busch and his wife had publicly campaigned to make IVF treatment more accessible for thousands of families across the United States. The couple, who welcomed both their children through IVF, ran the Bundle of Joy Fund, which attempts to help families remove the financial burdens of getting fertility treatments.
Their efforts attracted the attention of Trump, who invited Samantha to the White House last year to discuss the president's efforts to lower the cost of treatments.
Final Days and Health Struggles
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, as per the Associated Press. While a cause of death has not yet emerged, Busch was struggling with something in his final weeks.
He radioed for medical assistance from his car in the middle of one of his final NASCAR races on May 10 in upstate New York, just days before his death. Another eerie clip has emerged from May 16 of Busch being asked if he had recovered from what he thought was simply a nasty cough.
'I had a pretty - you can kind of still hear it, I'm still not great,' Busch said, waving his hand to his face as he spoke to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. 'But er, the cough was pretty substantial.'
In a clip from Busch's May 10 race, he was asking for a doctor to urgently meet him to give him 'a shot'. With 38 laps to go in the NASCAR Cup Series game, Busch told his team over the radio: 'Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He's the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please.'
He was then asked whether he needed the doctor at his car or his bus, to which he replied: 'Uh, bus. I'm going to need a shot.' According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
Busch went on to claim his record fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trophy that day, despite clearly still struggling with illness.
Heartbreaking Final Interview
Following his death, which came just six days after the victory, a heartbreaking clip of Busch's post-race interview resurfaced. After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win with the triumph at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career before he stops racing.
'You take whatever you can get, man,' Busch said. 'You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all - trust me.'
It remains unclear whether his sinus issues and cough were related to the cause of his death.
Outpouring of Tributes
In the wake of his shock passing, tributes have flooded in from NASCAR and across the racing world, joining the president in remembering the racing icon.
'Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,' NASCAR shared in a statement on behalf of Busch's family and his team, Richard Childress Racing. 'A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.'
'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. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal "Rowdy Nation".'
'Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha's parents, Kurt and all of Kyle's family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon. During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family's privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.'
