Kyle Busch's sudden demise left the entire Motorsports world in deep shock as the two-time Cup Series champion passed away on Thursday, May 21. Busch suffered from severe pneumonia, which rapidly progressed into sepsis.

However, the illness seemingly did not come overnight. The Richard Childress Racing driver was apparently ill for several days, which Brad Keselowski said he sensed.

During media availability this weekend ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, Keselowski was asked whether he got a sense that Busch was not feeling well in the few weeks leading up to his death.

"Yes, and I won't go into any specifics," Keselowski replied (via Cup Scene on YouTube). "But then when he ran the truck race, was it Friday, I think, of last week, those were honestly kind of erased in my mind."

Busch was suffering from an acute sinus cold during the Watkins Glen weekend. So much so that he requested a track doctor and asked for an immediate shot following the conclusion of the race on May 10.

"I'm not any level of doctor, but I do know the workload associated with running a double-duty weekend pretty well. I haven't done it myself, and he obviously executed at a very high level, winning one of the races. So I kind of like very dismissive of that," Keselowski further added.

Despite feeling unwell, Kyle Busch went on to run in the NASCAR Truck Series race at the Dover Motor Speedway and claimed the victory. However, things changed overnight on May 20 when he fell seriously ill at Concord.

The two-time Cup Series champion was reportedly training in a racing simulator at the Chevrolet training centre. People who were accompanying him at the time called 911, and he was taken to the hospital immediately.

However, Busch passed away at the age of 41. With this, the man, known as "Rowdy" and probably the last 'villain' in the sport, left behind a long-lasting legacy.

Brad Keselowski's Heartfelt Tribute To Kyle Busch

Following Kyle Busch's tragic demise, Brad Keselowski took to his official X account to share a tribute for his once-arch rival. Uploading a black and white picture of him and Busch, the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver wrote:

"I made him earn every victory and stole a few from him along the way. We took our shots at each other, in the media and on the track. But I’d like to think that somewhere deep down there was an appreciation that we pushed each other to perform at the highest level, even if neither of us would’ve admitted it."

With this, he also shared his condolences for the Busch family, his wife, Samantha Busch, and his two children, Brexton and Lennix.

"Tonight, I feel a little like the coyote with no more roadrunner to chase. His loss is all of our loss, but none more so than his family's. Thinking of Samantha, Brexton, and Lennix, who lost their father today," the RFK Racing driver further added.

Although Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch never raced together in NASCAR for the same team, they shared an intense rivalry from 2008 until the present day.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Yask Kotak