This doesn’t sound good…
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch will miss this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after being hospitalized with what’s only being described as a “severe illness.”
The announcement was made by his family on his social media with a post asking for prayers for the NASCAR veteran:
“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.”
Just two weeks ago at Watkins Glen, the driver of the #8 car for Richard Childress Racing wasn’t feeling well during the race and told his team to have a doctor meet him at his motorcoach after the race to give him a shot:
But last week during the All-Star Race at Dover, he brushed it off as sinuses and said he was getting better, and even won the Truck Series race on Friday.
In the wake of his hospitalization, RCR has announced that O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Austin Hill will pilot the #8 car this weekend in the Coke 600:
“Kyle Busch’s health is our upmost 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.”
It’s been a tough season for Busch, and RCR as a whole, with the #8 team currently sitting at 24th in points and outside of the cutoff to make the postseason Chase. But the team seems to have made some improvements over the past couple of weeks since bringing in Andy Street to replace Jim Pohlman as Busch’s crew chief.
He scored his best finish of the season at Watkins Glen, finishing 8th and scoring his first top 10 of 2026. His only other top 10 finish so far this year came at Talladega where Busch finished 10th.
There have also been questions swirling about Busch’s future and whether he would return to RCR after the 2026 season given their struggles on the track. Many have predicted that he could leave at the end of the season to go to Spire Motorsports, but those talks have cooled in recent weeks as Spire has improved their performances and increased the likelihood that all three of their drivers would return in 2027.
The 41-year-old Busch has been full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2005 when he began his career with Hendrick Motorsports, and won two championships with Joe Gibbs Motorsports. He joined RCR in 2023 and had immediate success, winning three races that season, but he hasn’t won since his first year with the team and is now in the middle of his longest streak without a win in his entire Cup Series career.
Let’s hope that whatever’s going on is nothing too serious and Busch can get back in the car – and back to victory lane – sooner rather than later.
