In a moment that now feels painfully prophetic, late NASCAR star Kyle Busch reflected on the uncertainty of racing just days before his sudden death at the age of 41.

Busch, who died on Thursday after reportedly suffering a medical emergency during a simulator session in Concord, had delivered what would become the final victory of his career at Dover last weekend in the Truck Series race for Spire Motorsports.

Following the win, Busch was asked how many more races he hoped to win before retiring from the sport. His response has since left the NASCAR world stunned.

“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”

At the time, the remark appeared to be a veteran racer speaking about the unpredictable nature of motorsport and ageing in competition. But after Busch’s unexpected death just days later, fans and fellow drivers are revisiting the quote with heartbreak.

The two-time Cup Series champion had still been actively racing and appeared competitive in recent weeks. Along with his Dover victory, Busch finished 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race, now officially the final race of his storied career.

Earlier this month at Watkins Glen, Busch had also revealed he was dealing with a sinus-related illness. During the race, he radioed his crew asking for a doctor to give him a “shot” after the event. Broadcasters noted the illness had been aggravated by the demanding G-forces and elevation changes at the circuit.

No official cause of death has yet been announced.

Busch’s death has sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community, with tributes pouring in from across the racing world.

“Absolutely cannot comprehend this news," Denny Hamlin posted on social media. "We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”

“Absolute shock. Very hard to process," added Brad Keselowski.

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Busch became one of NASCAR’s greatest-ever drivers, winning 234 races across NASCAR’s three national series — more than any driver in history.

Known to fans as “Rowdy,” Busch is survived by wife Samantha Busch and children Brexton and Lennix.

From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.

Busch was fired early in his career by Hendrick Motorsports to make room on the team for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“Kyle and I had a really challenging existence for many years,” Earnhardt said in a statement. “But we luckily took the time to figure out our differences and that was something he instigated with a conversation in his bus around how we each managed our racing teams. I was super eager for us to get on better terms. But it was he who made the effort for that to be possible.”

Busch moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing where he experienced the vast majority of career success. But Busch was let go when there was no sponsor after the 2022 season and joined Richard Childress Racing, where had struggled to win races.

His lack of success led to a recent spat with former JGR teammate Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to victory lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”

While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.

While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race and Tyler Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.

After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”