American professional stock car driver and two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41 following a battle with “severe illness”, according to his family.

Mr Busch’s death was officially announced in a joint statement released by NASCAR and his family on Thursday, noting that the American motorsport racing series lost a huge member of its community.

“A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans … Nascar lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon,” the statement said.

The announcement of Mr Busch’s death came only hours after his family had published a statement that the driver was hospitalised with severe illness and would miss the coveted Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

“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 understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the family stated earlier on Thursday.

During his 22 full-time seasons in NASCAR’s top division, Mr Busch won two Cup Series titles and 63 races, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

He also had record-serving numbers across NASCAR’s two other national series, including 102 victories in what is now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.