Kyle Busch announced Thursday morning that he will not race in the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 due to severe illness resulting in hospitalization. Austin Hill will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet ZL1 in his place.
“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,” a statement posted to Kyle Busch’s X account read.
Statement Regarding Kyle Busch from the Busch Family:
“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…
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 21, 2026
Entering the Coke 600 race weekend, Busch sat 24th in points and 66 points out of The Chase. Busch had a difficult start to his season, but has turned it around considerably since the crew-chief swap following the race at Talladega Superspeedway. The 41-year old finished top-10 in two of the last three points races, and ran top-10 nearly all day in the one he didn’t finish there at Texas.
Austin Hill will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte, and his first intermediate start at all since the 2024 Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway. Hill has made 17 career NCS starts with a best finish of 9th-place in the 2025 Chicago Street Course race.
The 32-year old will make his Charlotte NCS debut with a familiar voice in his ear. Street was the crew chief for Hill’s first three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series seasons as well as all his NCS starts in 2025 and 2026.
As of right now, Busch is only confirmed to be out for the Coke 600.
“Kyle Busch’s health is our upmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them. Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him,” RCR posted on X. “We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers, and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Written by: Kevin Modeszto
