08/21/26 02:03:00
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08/21 11:52 CDT Kurt Busch shares emotional last moments with late brother Kyle
Busch in 'Today' interview
Kurt Busch shares emotional last moments with late brother Kyle Busch in
'Today' interview
NEW YORK (AP) --- NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch wiped tears from his eyes in
recalling the final day he spent at his younger brother's hospital bedside in
his first public comments about Kyle Busch's death.
"I was at the hospital. I was there all day, hoping, praying, hoping for a
turnaround," Busch said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show on Friday.
"I said, ?I got you man. Come on, I got you. I got you. Come on, be strong,'"
an emotional Busch added, before a brief pause. "It just wasn't fair."
The interview marked Busch's first comments since Kyle Busch died on May 21
after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and
overwhelming complications. Busch's death at the age of 41 devastated the
racing community and one of NASCAR's most accomplished families. The borthers
were born in Las Vegas.
Kyle Busch won Cup Series championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing,
and holds the record in winning 234 combined races across NASCAR's top three
national series. His older brother was a Cup champion in 2004 and inducted this
year into the Hall of Fame.
In the interview, Busch outlined how his brother became increasingly ill while
practicing in a simulator on May 20. Asked by his crew chief whether he was OK,
Busch responded no and he was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
Kyle Busch initially believed he was dealing with a sinus cold while racing at
Watkins Glen, New York, on May 10. He continued competing, including winning a
Truck Series race at Dover, Delaware, less than a week before he died. Kurt
Busch said their father, Tom Busch, chose not to be at the hospital in order to
"remember him the way he wanted to remember him."
"There is no book, there is no outline on what we're supposed to do right now,"
Kurt Busch said, before recalling the on-track chemistry he had with his
brother.
"Him and I were carbon copies of each other. We could speak on track without
saying a word," he said. "I miss the words we never spoke to each other, and
the vibe that we had on track."
Busch said he's now mentoring his nephew, Kyle's 11-year-old son Brexton, who
has taken up racing.
"He's a prodigy," Busch said. "He can be a big start in the world of
motorsports. He's 11, but he's already racing like an 18-year-old."
As for his brother's legacy, Busch said the achievements speak for themselves.
"It's already there. Winningest driver in NASCAR history in all the series,"
Busch said.
"The tenacity that he had. It was every day, 24-7, to help people in the latter
part of his career, to be a great father like he was," he added. "It will all
shine as time puts different things in spotlights."
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