Kyle Busch needed an ambulance the day before his death due to shortness of breath and coughing up blood, 911 call shows

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — NASCAR driver Kyle Busch required medical attention on Wednesday after coughing up some blood and experiencing shortness of breath while getting ready for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

According to a 911 call obtained by CNN in response to a request for recordings related to Busch’s medical emergency, a caller – whose name is redacted in the recording – asks for an ambulance to come to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina.

“I’ve got an individual that’s (experiencing) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out and producing a little bit of blood – coughing up some blood,” the caller said.

The caller states that Busch was lying on the bathroom floor and was awake at the time of the call. The caller requested that the ambulances approach the building with sirens off and gave directions on the quickest route to Busch.

The 911 call, made at 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, came almost exactly 24 hours before NASCAR, Busch’s family and Richard Childress Racing announced Busch’s death. CNN has bleeped out the address and name of the facility to which the ambulance was called.

The Associated Press reports Busch was testing at a racing simulator on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the situation speaking on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.

Busch’s family and his team, Richard Childress Racing, announced the news of his death on Thursday, just hours after his family posted on social media that Busch was hospitalized with a severe illness. The family did not specify the type of illness. He was scheduled to race at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The younger brother of fellow NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch was one of the most recognizable and successful drivers in the history of NASCAR and racked up a win just last weekend.

A driver who often reveled in being the villain and was given the nicknames “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing,” the Las Vegas native was in the midst of his 22nd season in NASCAR’s top division, credited with 63 victories over 762 race starts, which ranks ninth on the all-time wins list. His two Cup Series titles came in 2015 and 2019, while with Joe Gibbs Racing.

His final Cup Series victory came in June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. While he was experiencing a rough patch in the Cup Series, Busch was regularly successful in other NASCAR series and was considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport.

Last weekend, Busch competed at the Dover Motor Speedway, winning the Trucks Series race and later finishing 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race. After his win, he reflected on the thrill of winning, regardless of the race or the circuit.

“Take whatever you can get, man,” Busch told reporters after winning the Trucks Series race. “You never know when the last one is gonna be. So cherish them all, trust me.”

Busch had been sick in recent weeks. During the race at Watkins Glen on May 10, Busch can be heard on his radio asking for a doctor after the race. He told reporters last week at Dover that he had a substantial cough during the Watkins Glen race, where he finished in 8th place.

The news of Busch’s death has sent the motorsports world reeling, with tributes pouring in from all over the globe to Busch’s tenacity and penchant for winning.

His team, Richard Childress Racing, announced on Friday that it will suspend the use of Busch’s No. 8 car and will instead run the No. 33 car.

“Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry,” the team wrote in a statement.

“No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”

Brexton is Busch’s 11-year-old son who has already begun following in his father’s footsteps and has racked up numerous wins in races around the country.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

CNN’s Devon M. Sayers and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

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