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Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick is like much of the sports world, reeling from the unexpected death of Kyle Busch.
Busch died Thursday at the age of 41, and Patrick said the suddenness of his death is not yet fully understood.
“I think we’re all just shocked. We’re sad,” Patrick said during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” Friday. “You know, it’s just something that no one expected. When I first heard that something was wrong, I thought he was driving something, but it was something completely different.”
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(Left) PK Press Club presenter Danica Patrick stands on the starting grid before the Montreal Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec on June 19, 2022. (Right) Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch (8) is shown before the start of the 2026 Wurth 400 Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on May 3, 2026. (David Kirouac/Imagn Images; Jérôme 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 the NASCAR and 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 a loss in another way too.”
Patrick praised Busch’s driving skills. He was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in the history of the NASCAR National Touring Series.
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Danica Patrick appears on set for PK Press Club ahead of 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/Sportswire Icon)
Busch is the all-time record holder for wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69). He also had a win in 19 consecutive seasons, which is the all-time record.
Patrick said Busch was able to reach that next level by running so often.
“People ask me: “What does it take to be a good pilot?” “And I’ve talked about that scenario a lot and Kyle Busch has always been in my mind as the best driver. But when a driver is on the track, it’s almost like an altered state of concentration,” Patrick said.
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Kyle Busch celebrates in victory lane holding a replica of the 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)
“The drivers who could get to that next level of like, go mode were capable of being the best drivers. And I always thought of him in my mind, but he was so capable of getting to that next level so often. He was just incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”
Patrick raced in NASCAR’s top series from 2012 to 2018. She had seven top-10 finishes and one pole in 191 races.
