Kyle Busch 911 Call Reveals He Was Coughing Up Blood Before Death Announcement
A 911 call obtained by NBC News has revealed new details about the medical emergency involving racing legend Kyle Busch before his death was announced by NASCAR.
911 call reveals Kyle Busch was coughing up blood and struggling to breathe before his death was announced.
According to the emergency call, a man requested medical assistance from a General Motors training facility in North Carolina after Busch became seriously ill.
“I’ve got an individual that’s, uh, shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out and is producing a little bit of blood — coughing up some blood,” the caller said at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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The caller also confirmed Busch’s condition at the time, stating: “He’s awake. He’s on the bathroom floor right now.”
Audio from the call captured the man asking for an ambulance to respond to the General Motors Charlotte Technical Center in Concord. He informed the dispatcher that he would wait outside for emergency responders and also asked, “Can you turn the sirens off?”
The caller’s identity appeared to have been redacted in the version of the recording released by emergency officials in Concord.
Earlier reporting from The Associated Press stated that Busch had been testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord when he became ill on Wednesday.
Following the incident, Busch’s family confirmed that he had been hospitalized with a severe illness and was receiving treatment. However, they did not disclose the nature of the illness, and the official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
News of Busch’s death came 11 days after he radioed his crew during a Cup Series race in Watkins Glen, asking for a doctor to give him a “shot” once the race ended.
According to the television broadcast, Busch had been dealing with a sinus cold that was aggravated by the demanding G-forces and elevation changes of the road course.
Despite those health concerns, Busch returned to victory five days later, winning a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Dover.
Reflecting after that win on May 15, Busch said: “You take whatever you can get, man. You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”
About a week after requesting “the shot,” Busch spoke openly about his health while addressing reporters in a video shared by The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck.
“I’m still not great,” Busch said. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
The announcement of Busch’s death sent shock waves throughout the racing world.
In a tribute posted on X, NASCAR said: “We are saddened and heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Kyle Busch,” while remembering him as “one of our sport’s greatest and fiercest drivers.”
A joint statement from the Busch family, NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing described the driver as “a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation.”
The statement added: “He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
Beyond his accomplishments on the track, Busch was known as a sometimes polarizing personality. He earned the nicknames “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” because of his post-race confrontations, frequent rivalries with fellow drivers and occasionally outlandish behavior.
