Death certificate: Kyle Busch had pneumonia for ‘days to weeks’ before he died

The death certificate of driver Kyle Busch revealed that the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was suffering from bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before his death on May 21, according to published reports.

The Athletic and USA Today reported on Busch’s condition after obtaining copies of his death certificate on Wednesday.

TMZ also received a copy of the driver’s death certificate.

Busch, 41, was cremated in Mooresville, North Carolina, according to the death certificate. The Athletic reported that Busch died of natural causes at 4:37 p.m. ET on May 21.

The driver’s family and NASCAR announced his death approximately one hour later.

According to the death certificate, pneumonia and sepsis were among a “chain of events” that led to Busch’s death. The Athletic reported that the sepsis lasted for one day.

The sepsis led to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a rare blood-clotting disorder. The condition cuts off the flow from blood vessels to body organs, USA Today reported.

In Busch’s case, the condition caused hemorrhagic shock caused by severe bleeding. The conditions lasted for hours, according to the newspaper.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.7 million adults in the United States develop sepsis annually. Of that number, at least 350,000 die during hospitalization or under hospice care.

The condition is responsible for more than one-third of hospital deaths in the U.S., the CDC said.

In the weeks leading up to his death, Busch continued to compete and win races.

On May 10, he asked for Bill Heisel, a sports physician assistant, to meet him in his motorhome after a race at Watkins Glen International, The Athletic reported.

“I’m gonna need a shot,” Busch said over his radio.

According to the television broadcast that day, Busch’s sinus cold was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the upstate New York road course.

The Athletic asked Busch on May 16, a day after his Craftsman Truck Series race victory at Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware, whether he was feeling better.

The driver motioned to his face.

“You can kind of hear it -- I’m still not great,” he told the sports news outlet. “But the cough was pretty substantial last week.”

On May 19, Busch attended the opening of an indoor karting facility in Durham, North Carolina, USA Today reported.

The next day, Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, three days before he was to race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch, who won 63 races on NASCAR’s main circuit and 234 across its three series -- more than any other driver -- had also been scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Charlotte.

Before the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR honored Busch with a memorial service, The Athletic reported. The service featured the first public appearance of Busch’s family -- his wife, two children, older brother and parents.

The service was also attended by nearly every NASCAR driver and team personnel members, according to the sports news outlet.

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