Kyle Busch hospitalized, will miss Coca-Cola 600
- Eddie Kalegi
- 5 hours ago
- 1 min read
EDDIE KALEGI - STAFF WRITER
Kyle Busch will not compete in the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, as the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion recovers in a hospital from an undisclosed illness.
A statement from the Busch family released early Thursday morning says "Kyle has experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization. He is currently undergoing treatment and will not compete in any of his scheduled activities this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation."
Busch last competed in Sunday's All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway, finishing 17th. Earlier in the weekend, he collected his 69th career Craftsman Truck Series victory at the Monster Mile.
Austin Hill, a full-time driver for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with 17 Cup Series starts over the past five seasons, will take Busch's place in the #8 Chevrolet in NASCAR's longest race on Sunday.
The race will mark the first NASCAR Cup Series points event without Kyle Busch on the grid since he was sidelined for the first 11 races of the 2015 season with a leg fracture stemming from a Daytona crash, before ultimately returning and rallying to win his first Cup championship. Busch currently sits 24th in the standings, 66 points out of a Chase spot.
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