Kurt Busch Breaks Down Recalling His NASCAR Legend Brother Kyle’s Final Moments

Kurt Busch is opening up about his brother and fellow NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, in the final moments of his life, while also explaining how illness is handled in the competitive racing world.

Kurt, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, appeared on the Today show Friday, where he opened up about his brother’s final moments before his sudden passing in May.

Kurt was in the hospital as Kyle took his final breaths. Friday marks three months since Kyle’s passing. Through tears Kurt was able to share those final words with his brother.

He told Today’s Craig Melvin, “I said, ‘I got you, man. Come on. I got you. Come on. Be strong.”

Kurt chose to be at Kyle’s side at the end. Their father, Tom Busch, chose not to.

“I was there at the hospital,” Kurt said. “I was there all day, hoping, praying, hoping for a turnaround. My dad wanted to remember him in the way that he wanted to remember him. That’s how people could choose if they wanted to or not.”

Kyle died May 21 after an undiagnosed bacterial infection in his lungs turned septic and moved through his body with brutal speed, killing within hours, his family said.

“Just wasn’t fair,” Kurt added.

During the emotional interview, Kurt opened up about Kyle’s pneumonia on a larger scale and explained how racecar drivers often push through certain illnesses because they feel like they have to in order to not lose their driver’s seat.

“To be bluntly honest, yeah…I mean, we’re independent contractors. We don’t have a union. So there’s a concern that if you don’t get in there, someone else fills in for you,” Kurt said.

The NASCAR community has paid tribute to Kyle in a big way throughout the season, but that’s not where Kurt feels closest to his brother, instead it’s a small local track where Kyle’s son, Brexton, races.

“He’s a prodigy. He was on the gas even before all of this,” Kurt said. “He can be a big star in the world of motorsports. He’s 11, but he’s already racing like an 18-year-old. So it’s time to be around a bit more.”

Bonding with the 11-year-old is a way of keeping his brother alive. But outside of the racing bubble, Kurt talked about how the grief hasn’t gotten easier.

Kurt and Kyle were brothers, and drivers, and they grew up on the track together as competitors, but always family.

“Him and I were carbon copies of each other. I just miss the on-track camaraderie. We could speak on track without saying a word,” Kurt said. “Like, ‘you pass me here, I’ll draft with you here.’ You know, short track, like, ‘hey man, did you change that shock?’ Yeah, I miss the words that we never spoke to each other and the vibe that we had on track. There’s usually going to be a discussion when I see someone, but it’s all right. We’ll get through it. Time heals.”