Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.<\/p>\n Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a \u201cshot\u201d from a doctor after the race. However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.<\/p>\n Busch, who was preparing to race on Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte.<\/p>\n During the\u00a0emergency call\u00a0placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: \u201cI\u2019ve got an individual that\u2019s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he\u2019s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.\u201d<\/p>\n The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch \u201che is awake,\u201d according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff\u2019s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.<\/p>\n NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn\u2019t feeling well recently.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I won\u2019t go into any specifics,\u201d Keselowski said. \u201cBut then when he ran the Trucks race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver\u2019s health \u2014 but most don\u2019t want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else\u2019s seat if we weren\u2019t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,\u201d Keselowski said. <\/p>\n \u201cAll athletes do. It\u2019s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We\u2019re all thinking to ourselves, \u2018I don\u2019t wanna be replaced\u2019, so you try to power through it the best you can.\u201d<\/p>\n Keselowski said Busch\u2019s unexpected death has forced him to pay attention to his own health moving forward.<\/p>\n Chase Briscoe said Busch\u2019s health issues served as a \u201cwake-up call\u201d for him and other drivers, who often put aside dealing with potential issues because they are so busy traveling around the country and competing on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n He said if something feels off, \u201cyou need to get checked out\u201d. <\/p>\n Busch\u2019s Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon was not made available for comment.<\/p>\n Austin Hill will replace Busch on Sunday and drive the No.33 car.\u00a0RCR is temporarily retiring Busch\u2019s No.8\u00a0until his 11-year-old son Brexton is old enough to race.<\/p>\n All 39 cars in the field for Sunday\u2019s race will include a small black No. 8 decal to honor Busch.<\/p>\n Busch won 234 races across NASCAR\u2019s top three series over his two-decade career,\u00a0more than any driver in history.<\/p>\n Drivers spoke at length on Saturday about his accomplishments, praising his toughness, competitive spirit and penchant for speaking his mind \u2014 all of which led to him earning a reputation as NASCAR\u2019s villain.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a polarising figure that no matter if you like him or disliked him as a racer, he was always talked about,\u201d Ryan Blaney said. <\/p>\n \u201cJust this guy that was always there and won too much, which is why people didn\u2019t like him. And he always spoke his mind. I think people came to respect that about him, that he was true to who he was and that never changed.\u201d<\/p>\n Blaney added that Busch\u2019s personality outside of the car and his competitiveness behind the wheel made him \u201ca larger-than-life person in racing\u201d. <\/p>\n![\"Kyle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/26f69b5394c538d9500a2458865392a0821fe226.jpg\")
Kyle Busch has died aged 41. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/64aba584f8b2983ac4f963fd82eb122d8a4cacc2.jpg\")
Fans gather at the memorial outside of the entrance to the Richard Childress Racing Museum where items have been placed in memory of Kyle Busch. Credit: Icon Sportswire\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n