Kurt Busch Remembers Brother Kyle Following His Tragic Death: ‘My Heart Is Broken’

NASCAR hall of famer Kurt Busch is sharing his heartbreak over the death of his younger brother Kyle Busch last month.

Kurt thanked everyone for their support, writing on Instagram, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, everyone, for the well wishes, support, and love for my brother and our family.”

He said, "Finding a silver lining, I reflect back on the days Kyle and I raced anything we could get our hands on. From big wheels to competing on the biggest stages in motorsports, we were more than just fierce competitors. We pushed each other, challenged each other, and learned from each other."

Addressing his late brother, he continued, "Kyle, your passion, determination, and love for your family inspired everyone who knew you. No trophy, championship, or accomplishment could ever measure the impact you had on my life and on so many others."

Kurt added, "I will forever be grateful for the memories we made, the lessons you taught me, and the brotherhood we shared. My heart is broken, but I know your spirit will always ride with me. Rest easy, little brother."

According to Kyle’s family, the 41-year-old died last month from “severe pneumonia” that “progressed into sepsis resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”

Kyle, also a NASCAR racer, was reportedly using a racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, when he suffered a medical emergency.

A 911 call obtained by TMZ Sports shed more light on the incident. The caller stated Kyle was awake and said he was on the floor of a bathroom at the racing complex.

"I've got an individual that's shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out, and he's producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood," the caller said, also confirming, “He is awake. He's awake. He's awake.”

Kyle was rushed to the hospital but died the next day.

“Extra” spoke with Dr. Armand Dorian, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, who said sepsis can be a hidden killer, spreading quickly without urgent treatment.

“Anybody can get pneumonia at any age, and when it progresses it turns into sepsis and then septic shock,” he explained. “So the reasons for the progression could be many. Most notably it is going to be when you have other medical conditions or you delay getting treated.”

He went on, “So what sepsis actually is, it is the complication of an infection… and when that progresses, it creates all these symptoms that we basically call sepsis. What that means is that your body starts to be unable to regulate itself, the blood pressure drops, your temperature… it drops below normal, you start becoming confused, and you go into shock, which is basically a state that 50 percent of the time you die from.”

Noting how dangerous it is, Dr. Dorian shared, “Sepsis is the number one killer for hospitalized patients, so it is not something new — it is very prevalent. It is just unfortunate when people don’t get treatment quickly enough.”

How is it treated? Dr. Dorian said, “Time is of essence. The main thing that needs to be done is you need to get antibiotics to start killing the bacteria that is inside your system, the second really important thing is to give you a lot of IV fluids… and finally oxygen… to keep you sustained.”

As for what symptoms to look for, he said, “Ominous signs are confusion, heart rate goes up, you start to feel light heated, your blood pressure starts dropping… your temperature starts to drop below normal... These are signs of septic shock. You need to call 911 and be seen immediately and be hospitalized and treated for that.”