Patrick mourns Kyle Busch, calls him one of NASCAR’s greatest

Patrick mourns Kyle Busch, calls him one of NASCAR's greatest

Danica Patrick described Kyle Busch’s death as a devastating loss for his family and the broader racing world, speaking publicly on Friday after Busch died Thursday at age 41. Patrick, appearing on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” alongside IndyCar champion Helio Castroneves, said the shock of Busch’s passing had not yet fully settled. “I think that we’re all just shocked. We’re sad,” she said. “It’s just something that no one expected.”

Patrick framed Busch as a polarising but undeniable force in the sport. “Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch was a figure, he was a polarizing figure and he was an incredible driver that will go down as being one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever,” she said. She also spoke of the personal toll on Busch’s immediate family, naming his wife Samantha, children Brexton and Lennox, and brother Kurt Busch among those affected.

Busch was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the all-time record-holder for wins in both NASCAR’s second-tier series, with 102 victories, and the Truck Series, with 69. He recorded wins in 19 consecutive seasons, a mark unmatched in the sport’s history. Patrick, who competed in NASCAR’s top series from 2012 to 2018, cited Busch specifically when asked to describe elite-level driving. “He was so able to get to that next level so often,” she said. “He was just incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”

The racing community’s response to Busch’s death continued to grow on Friday, with tributes emerging across multiple series. No official cause of death was included in available reporting.