NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch shared his emotional final moments with his late younger brother Kyle Busch during his first public comments since Kyle's passing on May 21, 2026.

In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Busch recounted being by his brother's hospital bedside, saying, "I got you man. Come on, I got you. I got you. Come on, be strong." He described how Kyle's condition rapidly deteriorated from what initially seemed like a sinus cold during racing at Watkins Glen on May 10. Despite continuing to compete and winning a Truck Series race at Dover, Delaware, Kyle's illness progressed into severe pneumonia leading to sepsis.

Kyle Busch, age 41, was NASCAR's winningest driver with 234 combined victories across all national series and held Cup Series championships from 2015 and 2019. The brothers, born in Las Vegas, shared an unparalleled on-track connection, with Kurt noting they could communicate without words while racing.

Kurt also spoke about mentoring his nephew Brexton, Kyle's 11-year-old son who is already making waves in motorsports. "He's a prodigy," Kurt said. Their father, Tom Busch, chose not to visit the hospital, wanting to remember his son as he was.