Kyle Busch, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who died Thursday at age 41, was remembered by those who knew him best as a fierce competitor who never forgot his Las Vegas roots. Busch’s family, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR confirmed his passing in a joint statement after he was hospitalized following a sudden illness. No cause of death was given.
Long before Las Vegas became a major sports market with the Golden Knights, Raiders, Aces, and the upcoming Athletics, Busch was one of the city’s most prominent athletes, alongside Andre Agassi, Greg Maddux, and Bryce Harper. His impact on the local racing scene was profound, especially at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).
Former LVMS president Chris Powell recalled watching a 14-year-old Busch race at the Bullring, the three-eighths-mile short track on the speedway’s property. “Those Saturday night races at the Bullring, I’m sure that those kids were in the stands and saying, ‘I want to do that. I want to go to Victory Lane like Kyle Busch. I want to do the Kyle Busch bow when I win a race, and have half the fans cheering, and half the fans booing,’” Powell said.
Busch’s career included 234 wins across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, the most in history. His lone Cup Series victory at his home track came in 2009, when he started last after an engine change and rallied to win. “When he won, the fans went crazy,” Powell said. “It was one of the most joyous Victory Lanes I’ve ever been to.”
Former LVMS media relations head Jeff Motley noted Busch’s willingness to support the speedway. “When it came to Las Vegas, I can’t recall one time in my entire career at the speedway that we ever asked Kyle to make an appearance or to do a media interview for us that he said, ‘No,’” Motley said. “He really, really appreciated that Las Vegas was his hometown.”
Busch’s success paved the way for other Las Vegas drivers, including current Cup Series drivers Riley Herbst and Noah Gragson, who drove for his Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. “He gave (them) a chance, some kids who never would have gotten a chance without Kyle’s influence,” Powell said.
Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, a former teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, said, “Kyle Busch wasn’t just one of the fiercest competitors our sport has ever seen, he was one of the most talented race car drivers I’ve ever shared a track with. … His passion, intensity and love for racing were unmatched.”
Busch’s final Cup Series win came on June 4, 2023. After a long winless drought, he gave his final bow following a Truck Series win at Dover on May 15, saying every win is special because “you never know when the last one is.” Motley reflected, “There certainly was the fiery, edgy Kyle, but there was also the Kyle that he would be very, very loyal to people who were loyal to him. … It’s such a loss for Las Vegas and the entire racing world.”
