Danica Patrick joined the chorus of voices mourning the sudden death of NASCAR great Kyle Busch.
The former IndyCar and NASCAR driver said she was “shocked” and “sad” over Busch’s death, calling it a “devastating loss” for his family and the entire racing community.
“I think that we’re all just shocked. We’re sad. You know, it’s just something that no one expected,” Patrick said during an appearance on “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich” on Friday. “When I first heard something was wrong, I thought he was driving something, but it was something completely different.
“… Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch was a figure, he was a polarizing figure and he was an incredible driver that will go down as being one of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever. That’s a loss in another way, too.”
Patrick raved about Busch’s ability to go “next level” behind the wheel, which helped him pile up 63 Cup Series wins, two championships and a NASCAR-record 234 victories across the sport’s three national series.
“I get asked, like, ‘What does it take to be a great driver?’ And many times I’ve referred to this scenario and Kyle Busch has always been in my mind as the driver that does this the best. But when a driver is out there on track, this is almost like an altered state of focus,” she said.
“The drivers that could access that next level of like, go mode were able to be the best drivers. In my mind I was thinking about him, but he was able to get to that next level so often. He was just incredibly fast and incredibly passionate and always wanted to be the best.”
Patrick competed against Busch’s in NASCAR’s top series from 2012 to 2018.
Busch died at the age of 41 Thursday after being hospitalized with what his family called a serious illness.
On Saturday, it was revealed that Busch passed away of severe pneumonia.
Patrick is one of dozens of NASCAR greats to speak out in honor of Busch since his passing.
