May 21 (Reuters) - Kyle Busch, a generational talent whose aggressive driving style earned him the nickname "Rowdy" and won him two NASCAR Cup Series championships, has died at the age of 41, his family announced on Thursday.
News of his death came just hours after Busch's family released a statement saying he had been hospitalized with a severe illness.
"We are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," his family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR said in a joint statement.
"Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. 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."
Busch was in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR's top division, where he won two Cup Series titles (2015, 2019) and 63 races - a figure that ranks ninth on the circuit’s all-time win list.
"Absolutely cannot comprehend this news," fellow driver and rival Denny Hamlin said on social media.
"We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB."
Born in Las Vegas, Busch entered the sport as a brash teenager with the nickname "Shrub" as the younger brother to Hall of Fame driver Kurt Busch.
But the alias of "Rowdy" - a nod to one of the main characters in the film "Days of Thunder" due to his aggressive style - is what stuck with him.
Busch got his start with Hendrick Motorsports as a heralded rookie, joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors, and spent the final stages of his career with Childress, arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
Busch is survived by his parents and his wife, Samantha, and children Brexton and Lennix.
(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes, Janina Nuno Rios and Rory Carroll; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Kim Coghill)
