A 911 call revealed that NASCAR’s Kyle Busch was breathing heavily, coughing up blood the day before he died.

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was short of breath, felt extremely hot and coughed up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

Busch died on Thursday at the age of 41. The cause of his death has not been released, although his family said he had previously been hospitalized with a “severe illness” three days before he competed in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, NC, on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told the AP.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not been released by Busch’s team or family.

During an emergency call held this afternoon at the General Motors training center, the caller calmly told dispatchers: “I have someone who needs help.” [got] shortness of breath, very hot, you think you’re going to pass out, and you’re producing a little blood, coughing up some blood.”

Busch was lying on the floor in a bathroom inside the building and the caller told dispatchers “He’s awake,” according to an audio release from the County Sheriff’s Office.

The man then gave directions as to where the emergency services should go and asked them to turn off any sirens when they arrived.

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell spoke to reporters at a press conference Friday but declined to answer any questions about the cause of death or any health issues that may have plagued Busch.

“We’re 24 hours away from the call and out of respect for the family, and you’ve asked for privacy, I’m not going to talk about that,” O’Donnell said. “But transparency is something we all believe in. So at the right time I think everyone will be comfortable with where things stand.”

He pretended to be injured at the Texas race

O’Donnell spoke at length about Busch’s legacy, his rebellious nature and even his conflicts with NASCAR, while calling him “an American badass.”

“Sure we had our fights but I would give a lot of money to have a few fights,” O’Donnell said.

He made a joke when Busch pretended to be seriously injured when NASCAR ordered him to a day care center after hitting the wall at Texas.

“He laid on top of the pit cart, he made fun of us,” O’Donnell said. “I was angry at the time, but I look back and it was funny – and that was Kyle.”

O’Donnell said NASCAR may consider adding Busch to this year’s list of Hall of Fame Class of 2027 inductees, which was decided earlier this week when Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips were voted in.

The news of Busch’s death sent shockwaves around the sports world at one of the biggest race weekends, including the Indianapolis 500.

The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes honored Busch with a moment of silence Thursday night before their final conference game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Even Vice President JD Vance took to social media, saying “I had the opportunity to meet Kyle, one of NASCAR’s greatest racers, in the 2024 campaign. Usha and I are praying for him and his family. Rest in peace, O Lord.”

Richard Childress Racing, which Busch has raced for the past four seasons, has announced plans to retire Busch’s No. 1 car. 8 Cup Series and will run the No. 33 instead starting Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 and going forward.

RCR said the No. 8 will now be reserved for Busch’s son, Braxton, to use when he is ready to start racing in NASCAR.

A tool in the design of RCR’s style No. 8

Brexton Busch is 11 years old but is already known for his contributions to racing.

“Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s No. 8 and has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol to fans and the NASCAR community,” RCR told X. “No one can pass on the level he did.”

Meanwhile, a dark, gray sky hung over the track on an unseasonably cool day at Concord, which proved to be the perfect backdrop for Busch’s memorial photo on the video board.

Christopher Bell is among the drivers scheduled to race in Friday night’s NASCAR Trucks Series race, in which Busch was scheduled to compete.

Busch won last week’s truck race at Dover, his final career win, giving him 234 NASCAR National Series victories, the most of any driver.

He finished 17th in the all-star race on Sunday.

“It’s going to be amazing to have Kyle out on the field,” Bell said. “It’s going to be a long time before things get back to normal.”

Bell called Busch’s death “a sad feeling.”

He said he talked to Busch before the last Trucks Series race and said he looked “normal, like normal.”

On Monday, Busch posted a happy message to her son Braxton on Instagram saying, “Your mom and I are so proud of who you are!”

Father and son spent Tuesday night in Durham, NC, with the Andretti family at the opening of a go-kart.

“I think it’s a stark reminder of how fragile life can be,” Bell said.