From our archives: We spoke to late NASCAR driver Kyle Busch in 2005 ahead of a race in Bristol. He died yesterday at 41 after being hospitalized.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch died yesterday after hospitalization, according to his family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR.
Two decades ago, back when he was around 20 years old and still in the first part of his career, we spoke to Busch ahead of a race in Bristol.
10News Reporter Beth Haynes did an interview with him the year before and noted that, in the 12 months between their interviews, he’d raced up the popularity charts for his age and impressive finishes in his rookie year on the Nextel Cup, which has since been renamed.
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“Just to be out here racing with these guys is pretty cool but you definitely got to make sure you keep your nose clean for a while and you gain the respect of those veterans,” a younger Busch said.
Haynes notes that his early success is also due, in part, to his older brother and now-Hall-of-Famer Kurt Busch.
“Kurt and I really like each other and try to work with each other as much as we can in order to help each other,” Busch said. “It’s fun to have that rivalry and yet, get along so well.”
You can view the full story from 2005 below.
Busch’s family said on Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness.” That was just three days before he was set to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the joint statement said. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
You can view their full statement below.