CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 21: Kyle Busch poses for a photo during NASCAR Production Days at Charlotte Convention Center on January 21, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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UPDATE:

ForbesNASCAR Loses One Of Its Greatest Villains And Brightest StarsBy Greg Engle

Kyle Busch will miss the races at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. And not by choice.

Busch’s family released a statement on social media Thursday and said the 41-year-old two-time NASCAR Cup champion won’t be racing this weekend after experiencing a severe illness that resulted in hospitalization.

“Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization. He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation.”

No further information was released. Busch was scheduled to compete in Friday night’s Truck Series race followed by the Cup Series Coca-Cola 600, a race he won in 2018, on Sunday. His team said Austin Hill will take his place.

Richard Childress Racing released a statement shortly after: “Kyle Busch’s health is our utmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them. Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him. We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”

Perhaps eventually we will learn whether this current illness is in any way related to what happened two weeks ago at Watkins Glen International. During the race Busch told his team over the radio that he was “going to need a shot.” He didn’t mean a shot at the win — though he was competitive in the race at the time — but an actual medical shot. The FS1 broadcast later added the context that Busch wanted Dr. William Heisel to meet him at the team bus after the race, with Busch having reportedly battled a sinus cold throughout the week.

That same weekend, Busch skipped the Truck Series race, and Connor Mosack filled in.

Of course, if the details are never made available, that’s fine as well. In a sport where drivers routinely climb into 3,400-pound stock cars at nearly 200 mph and somehow still treat pain and illness like an inconvenience, there are moments that remind everyone these drivers are still human beings first and race car drivers second.

Busch has missed races during his long career. The first time he missed a race weekend came in 2011, but that was for something far from health related. Busch deliberately wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. during a Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, and NASCAR penalized Busch by forcing him to sit out both the Xfinity (then Nationwide) and Cup Series races that weekend.

He missed the first 11 races of the 2015 Cup Series season after suffering horrific injuries to his lower legs during a crash at Daytona International Speedway in the season-opening Xfinity Series race.

Busch would not only make a triumphant return to racing but would go on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship later that same 2015 season. It was a comeback story that became one of the biggest stories in sports that year — the kind that sounded less like a racing season and more like something a Hollywood screenwriter would reject for being too unrealistic.

Now Kyle Busch will again miss a weekend, this one for health issues. Here’s wishing him a quick, and complete, recovery. Perhaps this time away will serve as a reset. He gained a new crew chief and showed some competitiveness at Watkins Glen.

Who knows, maybe Kyle Busch making a triumphant return to racing once more will become one of the biggest sports stories of 2026.