Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch reportedly sought medical help for sinus issues just weeks before his tragic death Thursday. He was 41 when he died.
The NY Post reports the NASCAR legend requested medical attention in the waning moments at Watkins Glen International on May 10.
Busch asked over the radio for a doctor to meet him at his bus after he had crossed the finishing line.
“Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel? He’s the kindred doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please,” Busch can be heard asking, the report notes.
“I’m gonna need a shot,” he added.
The NY Post report further detailed during the broadcast of the race, FOX Sports’ Mike Joy mentioned Busch had been dealing with a “sinus cold” during the week possibly exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.
On May 16, one day before he took the wheel in the All-Star Race last Sunday, Busch told reporters his illness was still lingering.
“I’m still not great,” he said when asked if he was feeling better. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
As Breitbart News reported, Busch was admitted into the hospital with what his family called a “severe illness,” before his death was announced later Thursday afternoon.
FLASHBACK: JULY 09, 2010: Kyle Busch wins the Dollar General 300 race at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL. (Photo by Stephen A. Arce/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty)
The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement seen by AP confirming Busch died after being hospitalized.
No cause of death was given.
Busch’s family said earlier Thursday he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, Kyle Busch is survived by wife Samantha and young children Brexton and Lennix.