Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died at 41 on Thursday afternoon after being hospitalized with a sudden and severe illness, according to a statement from his family.
Connecticut natives Joey Logano and Ryan Preece competed alongside Busch for a combined 23 full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, and both issued statements on their respective Instagram accounts Thursday evening to commemorate the legendary stock car racer, who is ninth all-time in wins with 63.
“My heart goes out to Kyle’s family, his Team and everyone that knew and supported him,” Logano wrote on Instagram. “Kyle was a Champion, a feared competitor, a loving husband, a great dad and he’ll truly be missed, as he made a forever impact on and off the race track. Let us pray for Samantha, Brexton, Lennix and the entire Busch family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Logano hails from Middletown and quickly became a prodigious driver in regional youth competitions, winning the Eastern Grand National Championship in the Junior Stock Car Division at 7 years old before scooping up three New England Regional Championships. His first full season in NASCAR’s top flight came in 2009, and he became the youngest ever driver to earn a Cup Series victory when he returned to New England for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Busch and Logano rose to dominate NASCAR over the past 15 years, combining for four Cup Series championships between 2015 and 2024, the only two-time title winners during that stretch. The two legendary drivers spent five seasons as teammates with Joe Gibbs Racing before famously getting into a brawl at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2017.
Preece, meanwhile, was raised in Berlin and spent several seasons in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series before making a full-time jump to the top division in 2019. The 35-year-old is currently on pace for his best season in the Cup Series this year through a dozen races, currently sitting in 13th place with a pair of top-10 finishes.
“Godspeed KB. Gone too soon,” Preece wrote on Instagram. “My family’s thoughts & prayers are with the Busch family.”