Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, his family says

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

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
Updated 1 hr 59 min ago
Updated May 23, 2026, 12:46 PM ET
PUBLISHED May 22, 2026, 3:07 PM ET


Kyle Busch speaks to the media during Media Day for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

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. {snip 911 call} 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.

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