Joe Gibbs recalls Kyle Busch’s ferocity after death

Joe Gibbs looked back on Kyle Busch’s life after the NASCAR champion’s death on May 21, recounting the moments that defined Busch’s courage, temper, humor, and determination—from a 2015 Daytona crash to a message to his boss after a New Hampshire finish—while

Concord, NC — Joe Gibbs didn’t start with the headlines. He started with a hospital room.

When he thinks about Kyle Busch. Gibbs goes back to 2015. when Busch was driving in a second-tier Xfinity Series race at Daytona during the season opener. Busch was caught in a multi-car crash that left him with a compound fracture in his right leg and foot. Gibbs went to the hospital to check on him.

Gibbs said Busch was “raving” at the doctor, pushing to get fixed and back to racing. Gibbs recalled Busch saying. “Get me in there. fix this. I want to get back to racing. ” adding that Busch’s approach was unmistakable. even if Gibbs didn’t know whether it was “drugged up” at the time. Busch missed the first 11 races of the Cup Series that season. When he returned. he won five races and finished inside the top 10 in 11 others to secure his first championship—his first. after that return—with the team Gibbs owns. Joe Gibbs Racing.

For Gibbs, the injury wasn’t just a test of recovery. It was a window into what he saw as Busch’s core trait: a refusal to be afraid. Gibbs had coached Washington’s NFL team to three Super Bowl titles. and he said he hadn’t seen anything like Busch’s handling of what happened. He told reporters on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “As far as courage and determination and a desire to win. I got to tell you. I’m not sure how many athletes could have gone through that and handled it that way.”.

He continued: “So, the one thing I always felt about Kyle, that guy had great courage. He was not afraid of almost anything, and he had a burning desire to race — it was just inside of him.”

That determination lives in Busch’s record. The racing community is still stunned by his shocking death on Thursday, May 21. The 41-year-old driver. who won two Cup Series championships with Gibbs. died of complications from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. according to a statement from his family.

Across NASCAR’s top three national touring competitions, Busch won 234 races—more than any other driver all-time. He collected victories with several teams. but spent the longest stretch in the same seat for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2022 in the No. 18 Toyota. Busch finished his career driving for Richard Childress Racing. Of his 63 victories in the top-level Cup Series, 56 and both of his championships came under the JGR banner.

On Saturday, May 23, speaking to reporters amid rain delays at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gibbs shifted toward the other side of Busch—the side that made people laugh, even when it made managing him harder.

Gibbs said, “Kyle was like a freight train. If you get in the way, you’re going to get run over. There’ll be some good things in there. and then every now and then he’s going to run over a few things and cross a line.” He said Busch’s passion showed up in “so many different ways. ” and added. “Honestly. I may have 100 Kyle Busch stories.”.

One of those stories came from New Hampshire, where Gibbs said Busch finished second. Gibbs recalled expecting Busch to be in a good mood when he approached pit road to congratulate him.

Instead. Gibbs described Busch walking by his owner and saying: “Your cars suck.” Gibbs said he didn’t take it personally. What stood out. in his telling. was Busch’s fervor for excellence—how he could push for perfection even in the middle of a strong result. Gibbs said there was a funny streak too, describing Busch as “really quick-witted,” able to laugh at himself. He said Busch could say things that surprised him. and Gibbs even caught himself wanting Busch to “quit pushing the button.”.

Gibbs also described Busch’s villain persona off the track as something that was tied to his racing mindset. He said Busch was in his prime while racing for Gibbs. displaying talent and a willingness to stand out both inside and outside the car. Gibbs admitted Busch could be difficult to manage at times. but in hindsight he believes Busch’s attitude and personality were good for NASCAR.

“I think we love that about our sport. You see it in other sports too. Their passion, they wear it on their sleeve. If Kyle was thinking something, he said it. He wasn’t planning things, he just did things,” Gibbs said. “You love the guy. and the way he approached things sometimes — obviously you would question — but he was definitely a unique person. We’ll really miss Kyle.”.

For Gibbs, the loss also carries the weight of familiarity. He said he saw Busch grow up and evolve as a man: when Busch arrived at JGR in 2008 at 23 years old and single, and by the time he left in 2022, Busch was married with two children.

Gibbs knows what it means to lose loved ones, too. He said both of his sons died while Busch was with JGR. J.D. Gibbs died in 2019 of degenerative neurological disease. Coy Gibbs passed away in his sleep in 2022, and both were 49 years old.

On Saturday, Gibbs returned to the immediate reality of what comes next for the family Busch left behind. Gibbs said he plans to be there for Busch’s widow, Samantha, and their two kids, Brexton and Lennix, for whatever they need.

“We just need to encourage and be there and love them, but I think then it’s the journey down the road… I want to be there for that,” Gibbs said.

He added, “Our family has kind of gone through this, and so it’s just, honestly, the worst thing that could happen in life.”

Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway pneumonia sepsis Joe Gibbs Samantha Busch Brexton Busch Lennix Busch