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A day before he died following a brief hospitalization, NASCAR champion Kyle Busch was coughing up blood while at a GM facility in North Carolina, according to the 911 call obtained by ABC News.
The 911 caller requested an ambulance come to the GM Charlotte Technical Center in Concord on Wednesday for an individual experiencing “shortness of breath” who was “very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out.”
The man was also “coughing up some blood,” the 911 caller said.
“He’s awake,” the caller said. “He’s on the bathroom floor right now.”
The dispatcher said EMS was on the way.
The individual in distress is not identified on the call, though the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office released the audio in response to an ABC News request for the 911 call made on behalf of Busch.
The Associated Press reported that Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday, when he was transported to a hospital in Charlotte.
Kyle Busch before the first of two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 12, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Mike Stewart/AP
On Thursday, Busch’s family said the NASCAR great was hospitalized and undergoing treatment due to a “severe illness,” and that he would not be competing this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Hours later, they announced his death at the age of 41 in a joint statement with his racing team and NASCAR.
“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,” the statement said.
His family did not provide details on his illness or cause of death.
The statement on his death hailed Busch as a once-in-a-generation talent.
“He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans,” the statement said.
An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C.
Matt Kelley/AP Photo
Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series twice — in 2015 and 2019 — and set records in national series wins. His two-decade career included 234 victories among all three NASCAR national series.
“NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon,” the statement said.
A photo tribute to Busch was seen on Friday outside Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Busch was set to run the Coca Cola 600 this weekend.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Alexandra Fine contributed to this report.
