Kyle Busch died after pneumonia progressed to sepsis, family says

NASCAR star Kyle Busch died from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis, according to a statement released Saturday by his family.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Busch won more races in NASCAR’s top three series than anyone in history.

The driver experienced shortness of breath, felt he was overheating and was coughing up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained Friday by CBS News.

This was the Busch family’s first statement since Thursday, when they wrote on social media that he “experienced a severe illness resulting in hospitalization” and would miss this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest races of the season.