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Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick is like the sports world, shocked by the sudden death of Kyle Busch.
Busch died at the age of 41 on Thursday, and Patrick said his sudden death still hasn’t completely sunk in.
“I think we’re all just shocked. We’re heartbroken,” Patrick said during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Friday. “You know, it’s just something that no one expected. When I first heard that something was wrong, I thought someone was driving, but it was something completely different.”
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(Left) Sky Sports 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, Fort May 300, Fort Maythway Cup, Texas 2026. (Photos by David Kirouac/Imagn; Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
Patrick called Busch’s death a tragedy for his family and the NASCAR community.
“It’s just a sad loss for Samantha and Brexton and Lennox and Kurt and his parents and the whole family and the NASCAR community and racing,” Patrick said.
“Whether you love him or hate him, Kyle Busch was a person, he was a divisive person and he was an amazing driver who will go down as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. That’s a loss in another way.”
Patrick praised Busch’s driving ability. He was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in NASCAR touring series history.
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Danica Patrick appears on Sky Sports 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 Oct. 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 won 19 consecutive seasons, which is unprecedented.
Patrick said Busch was able to get to that next level while running regularly.
“I get asked, like, ‘What does it take to be a great driver?’ And many times I have referred to this situation and Kyle Busch has always been in my mind as the driver who did this best. But when the driver is on the road, it’s like a changed state of focus,” said Patrick.
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Kyle Busch celebrates in victory lane with his WWE world championship belt after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 7, 2009. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“Drivers who can get to that next level of like, go mode are able to be the best drivers. And always in the back of my mind I thought about him, but he was very able to get to that next level over and over again. He was incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”
Patrick raced in NASCAR’s premier series from 2012 to 2018. He had seven top-10s and one pole in 191 races.
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