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Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick, like much of the sports world, is in shock over the unexpected death of Kyle Busch.
Busch died at the age of 41 on Thursday, and Patrick said his sudden death still hasn’t fully sunk in.
“I think we’re all just shocked. We’re sad,” Patrick said during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Friday. “You know, it’s just something nobody expected. When I first heard something was wrong, I thought he was driving something, but it was something else entirely.”
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(Left) Pakinomist anchor Danica Patrick stands on the starting grid before the Montreal Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, June 19, 2022. (Right) Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch (8) is introduced before the start of the 2026 Wurth 400 Speed Cup race in May 2026 at Fort Worth 400 Cup, Texas, Texas. 2026. (David Kirouac/Imagn Images; Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
Patrick called Busch’s death devastating to his family and the NASCAR community.
“It’s just a devastating loss for Samantha and Brexton and Lennox and Kurt and his parents and the whole family and for NASCAR and the racing community,” Patrick said.
“Because you love him or hate him, Kyle Busch was a figure, he was a polarizing figure, and he was an incredible driver who will go down as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. It’s also a loss in another way.”
Patrick praised Busch’s driving skills. He was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in NASCAR national touring series history.
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Danica Patrick appears on the Pakinomist set before the qualifying session for the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on October 18, 2025. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire)
Busch holds the all-time record for wins in both the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69). He also had a winning streak of 19 consecutive seasons, which is the most all-time.
Patrick said Busch was able to reach the next level when he raced so often.
“I get asked, like, ‘What does it take to be a good driver?’ And many times I have referred to this scenario and Kyle Busch has always been in my mind as the driver who does this best. But when a driver is out there on the track, it’s almost like an altered state of focus,” Patrick said.
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Kyle Busch celebrates in victory lane with a replica WWE World Championship belt after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on November 7, 2009. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“Drivers who could access that next level of like, go mode were able to be the best drivers. And I always thought about him, but he was so able to get to that next level so often. He was just incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”
Patrick drove in NASCAR’s top series from 2012 to 2018. She had seven top-10 finishes and one pole in 191 races.
