Kyle Busch was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood before he died from a ‘severe’ illness this week, 911 audio has revealed.
Busch, one of the most decorated drivers in NASCAR history, tragically died at the age of 41 on Thursday after being hospitalized with a mystery ‘severe’ illness. A cause of death has not yet been announced.
During an emergency call placed around 5:30pm Wednesday, a 911 caller was heard urgently requesting an ambulance to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina – where the racing legend was preparing for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 event in Charlotte.
Audio of the chilling call has been released by TMZ, with the caller saying that Busch had ‘shortness of breath’ and was ‘very hot’ before his passing.
‘[He] thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,’ the caller added.
They confirmed that Busch was still conscious at the time while repeatedly telling dispatch: ‘He is awake. He’s awake. He’s awake.
Kyle Busch was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood before he died
The NASCAR icon, pictured with wife Samantha, passed away at the age of 41 this week
According to the audio, the NASCAR great was lying on a bathroom floor at the facility while employees prepared for paramedics to arrive.
The caller asked responding crews to shut off their sirens when approaching the building and told them he would wait outside and flag them down at a side entrance.
Busch was rushed to hospital after he became unresponsive in a simulator, it has emerged.
He is believed to have been testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina when he was taken ill, according the Associated Press – which says several people familiar with the situation have confirmed the details to them.
The simulator Busch was in would almost certainly have been preparing him for his next race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, by replicating the motion and G-forces drivers experience at speed on a track in real life.
Chevrolet’s website describes them as being ‘as close as drivers can get to racing without actually strapping in – tracks are scanned to a very high resolution… along with each bump or unique part of the surface.’
Busch’s hospitalization came less than two weeks after he made a mid-race request for medical aid.
During a Cup Series race on May 10 at Watkins Glen, he radioed in to his crew requesting medical aid from Dr Bill Heisel and a ‘shot’ after the race.
Busch leaves behind Samantha and their two children; son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4
According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the Upstate New York road course.
Brushing off the incident, Busch went on to claim his record fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trophy days later on May 15. Following his death, which came six days after the victory, a heartbreaking clip of Busch’s post-race interview resurfaced.
After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win with the triumph at Dover, he was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career before he stops racing.
‘You take whatever you can get, man,’ Busch said. ‘You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all – trust me.’
