CORBIN, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kyle Busch, the winningest driver across NASCAR's three premier series, died Thursday at the age of 41. His family said he had been hospitalized with a severe illness just three days before he was set to take the green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
His cause of death remains unknown.
NASCAR is still working on plans to honor Busch at Friday's Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. Sunday's Indianapolis 500 will also feature a memorial for him.
Busch's death sent shock waves through the racing world, leaving fans grieving a driver whose record on the track was matched only by his reputation off of it. He recorded seven NASCAR National Touring Series wins at Kentucky Speedway alone — a track he once called one of his favorites.
"It's pretty cool to come here to Kentucky, one of my favorite places, and score a win," Busch said in an interview after one race.
For Blake Sawyers, a young fan from Corbin, Busch's fearless, full-throttle style made him an easy favorite.
"I always like the way he raced, he just stood out," Blake said.
Blake's parents had their own favorites at first — but one meeting with Busch changed everything.
"We met him a few times, and the first time we met him, you really realized he loved his fans. He might have been this hardcore person on the racetrack, but in real life he was the greatest person ever," Regina Sawyers said.
Over more than a decade, the Sawyers family collected signed posters, snapped photos, and Blake even got to know Busch's son. No matter the outcome on race day, Busch made a point to acknowledge his supporters.
"I remember being at Bristol and he stayed after and signed an entire line for people after the race," Blake said.
For Regina, the connection ran deeper than racing. Struggling with infertility after having Blake, she felt drawn to Busch and his wife, Samantha, through their Bundle of Joy Fund, which offered grants to couples facing costly IVF treatments.
When the Sawyers finally got their own victory — a pregnancy with a sibling for Blake — they wanted the gender reveal to be unforgettable. At the next fan day, Blake handed Busch the envelope with the gender inside.
"He asked him to know what his baby was, and he was excited and called Samantha over and she was just ecstatic," Regina said. "She gets the mic and announces it to everybody."
The baby was a boy.
That moment locked the Sawyers family's story with Busch's forever — making the news of his death all the more painful.
"It really did feel like losing a family member, losing a role model," Blake said. "The way he treated his family, fans, his supporters and followers…it was just like watching a Superhero die in my eyes."
