KYLE BUSCH RECEIVES MID-RACE TRIBUTE DURING INDY 500

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Kyle Busch Honored During Lap 18 of Indy 500

Kyle Busch received a tribute in the middle of the Indy 500 Sunday ... with the crowd falling silent out of respect for him during lap 18 -- a nod to his former number.

A tribute to Kyle Busch on Lap 18 of the Indy 500. pic.twitter.com/ZTYE0kzOgJ @IndyCarOnFOX

Check out the clip ... racers turn out of corner 4 on Lap 17 -- and, as they pass the scoring pylon, a picture of Kyle Busch "1985-2026" flashes on a screen at the venue.

The Indy 500 crowd -- usually a raucous bunch -- falls into a subdued silence ... while pit crew members can be seen standing at attention.

Lap 18 is one of just many tributes at the Indy 500 to Busch ... whose former teammate, Jimmie Johnson, appeared during Fox's pregame show.

Before the Indy 500, @JimmieJohnson, @DanicaPatrick, and @TonyStewart remember Kyle Busch. pic.twitter.com/wemDa2t7Cr @IndyCarOnFOX

Johnson talked about the respect Busch had from everyone about the sport ... while fellow driver Danica Patrick reflected on Busch's love of racing.

As you know ... Busch passed away Thursday after a bout with severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis, according to his family.

KB won his final race on May 15 -- a Truck Series race ... and the No. 7 vehicle he used was back in action Sunday as well, though it didn't have the happy ending sports fans might've hoped for.

I just can’t express enough how lucky we are that Corey Day’s truck came back to the ground.

Day would’ve went over that wall…My heart sank for a second. pic.twitter.com/PyqEOYGlxB @AustinKonenski

Driver Corey Day ended up in a hard crash during lap 47 when he received contact from Gio Ruggiero. It's a scary-looking crash ... but Day was able to walk off the track under his own power.

Day said, "I just hate it for the No. 7 guys. This is exactly what I didn’t want to do today. I just wanted to deliver them a good run. I feel terrible."

Busch was supposed to drive in the Coca-Cola 600 this afternoon ... and the entire racing world is clearly still reeling from the shocking death.

- TMZ

KYLE BUSCH DEATH: FRESH DETAILS EMERGE AFTER TRAGIC PASSING OF NASCAR ICON

Photo: Race Pictures

The world of NASCAR and the American motorsport racing scene has been rocked by the tragic passing of Kyle Busch. More details have now emerged surrounding the circumstances of the 41-year-old’s death.

News of the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s passing came suddenly, just hours after he was reportedly admitted to the hospital following a short illness on Wednesday, May 20.

Busch was widely renowned for his success on track across both the NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series and had been expected to take part in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 race prior to his death. However, following the announcement and the initially unclear details surrounding the cause, fresh information has now surfaced regarding the Las Vegas-born driver’s final hours.

Fresh details emerge surrounding Busch’s death

According to a report from CNN, Busch required medical attention on Wednesday after coughing up blood and experiencing shortness of breath while preparing for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 event.

The report further states that a 911 call obtained revealed that a caller, whose identity was redacted, requested an ambulance to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina. “I’ve got an individual that’s experiencing shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out and producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller said.

Kyle Busch racing at Daytona - Photo: Race Pictures

The report adds that Busch was lying on the bathroom floor but was conscious at the time of the call. The caller also requested that emergency services approach with sirens off and provided directions to the facility. The emergency call, made at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, came almost exactly 24 hours before NASCAR, Busch’s family, and Richard Childress Racing officially announced his passing.

Further reports indicate that Busch had been testing on a racing simulator earlier that day when he became unresponsive and was subsequently transported to a hospital in Charlotte, according to several unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

Richard Childress Racing pays tribute

Richard Childress Racing, the team Busch drove for up until his passing, has paid tribute to the 41-year-old. The racing outfit announced it will suspend the use of Busch’s No. 8 car and instead field the No. 33 car.

The team has also confirmed that the No. 8 will be reserved for Brexton Busch, his 11-year-old son, who has already begun following in his father’s footsteps and has recorded multiple wins in junior racing categories across the United States.

- Samson Ero

KYLE BUSCH CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED

NASCAR Legend Kyle Busch Cause of Death Revealed

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NASCAR legend Kyle Busch died from severe pneumonia, which progressed into sepsis ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to a statement from Kyle's family, he passed away "after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications."

As we reported ... Kyle died Thursday after being hospitalized with a severe illness.

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Before being taken to the hospital, Kyle was in a North Carolina racing simulator Wednesday when he reportedly became unresponsive. TMZ Sports obtained audio from the 911 call ... where someone told dispatch the patient was "coughing up some blood" at the NC training facility while looking like they were going to pass out.

Kyle's death came 11 days after a NASCAR Cup Series race in which he radioed to his crew and asked for a doctor to give him a "shot" after he finished the race.

On TV, they noted Kyle had been battling some sort of sinus cold that was made worse by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at New York's Watkins Glen course. That race was on May 10.

Despite the health issue, Kyle kept competing ... winning a Truck Series race on May 15 and then competing in the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 17, just four days before his death.

Kyle was 41.

RIP

- TMZ Sports

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