CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two-time NASCAR Cup series champion Kyle Busch was coughing up blood, experiencing shortness of breath and “was very hot,” according to a 911 call obtained by WSOC on Friday.
Busch, 41, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday, three days before he was to race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, according to The Associated Press.
Busch, who won 63 races on NASCAR’s main circuit and 234 across its three series -- more than any other driver -- had also been scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Charlotte this weekend.
The cause of death has not been released, WSOC reported.
During the audio of the call, which was also obtained by USA Today and TMZ, an unidentified man tells a dispatcher that Busch was on the bathroom floor, awake, but in distress.
“I’ve got an individual that’s (experiencing) shortness of breath, very hot and thinks he’s going to pass out and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told the dispatcher, according to published reports.
According to the AP, Busch became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, citing anonymous sources “who were familiar with the situation.”
According to the audio call, the person speaking to the dispatcher identified the location as the General Motors Charlotte Technical Center off Speedway Boulevard in Concord, describing it as being next to Hendrick Motorsports.
The caller asked the dispatcher to tell emergency responders to turn off their sirens on arrival, according to the audio call.
Busch was believed to have been suffering from a sinus condition in the week leading up to his death, WSOC reported. While racing on May 10 at Watkins Glen, Busch radioed his team requesting a “shot” from a doctor after he finished. According to the television broadcast that day, Busch’s sinus cold was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
His nickname -- “Rowdy” -- was a testament to his aggressive style of racing. The product of a racing family, Busch broke into motorsports as a brash teenager and was quickly dubbed “Shrub,” as the younger brother of Kurt Busch, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January.
He also had a cameo as a West Virginia state trooper in the 2017 movie, “Logan Lucky.”
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