NASCAR officials confirmed that the Coca-Cola 600 will “go on as planned Sunday” after the shocking death of driver Kyle Busch. Drivers are “expected to begin making their way” to Charlotte Motorsports Speedway in Concord on Friday with practice and qualifying on Saturday. Busch’s family said that he was “hospitalized with a ‘severe illness’” on Thursday before dying later in the day. Sources said that Busch was “testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital.” The news comes 11 days after Busch “radioed into his crew” near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen “asking a doctor to give him a ‘shot’ when he finished the race.” The TV broadcast noted that Busch had been “struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes” at the N.Y. road course. Busch raced at Dover last weekend and won the Truck Series race for Spire Motorsports (AP, 5/22).
Driver Austin Hill, who was announced to be Busch’s replacement in the Coca-Cola 600 earlier on Thursday, will “remain Busch’s replacement behind the wheel for the time being” (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 5/21).
The Hurricanes held a moment of silence for Busch before Thursday night’s Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 against the Canadiens (ESPN.com, 5/21).
Columnists weighed in on the passing of Busch:
- NBC Sports’ Nate Ryan: Kyle Busch was the highly talented lightning rod of NASCAR who loved wearing the black hat.
- AP’s Mark Long: Kyle Busch was more than a villain and the greatest NASCAR driver of his generation.
- The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck: Kyle Busch, from the Mojave Desert to 234 victory lanes, was always larger than life.
- ESPN.com’s Ryan McGee: Kyle Busch embodied motorsports’ greatest compliment: He was a racer.
- Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler: NASCAR legend Kyle Busch’s sudden death leaves an unfathomable hole in the sport.
- Charlotte Observer’s Alex Zietlow: Kyle Busch had the racing spirit of Dale Earnhardt Sr., and he forever will.
- Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Ken Willis: Kyle Busch death shocks and delivers harsh reality to NASCAR.
