NASCAR Cup star Denny Hamlin doesn’t typically make recommendations very often, but he is this time, having thrown his full support behind Kurt Busch to be chosen for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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The promotion will announce the three drivers who will make up the Class of 2026 this Tuesday, May 20, and Busch is considered a strong favorite to be selected for induction into the NASCAR Hall next January.
Busch, who won the NASCAR Cup championship in 2004, has spent the last two-plus years serving as a consultant for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.
“I just think his ability to perform at every race team, every manufacturer — I think he won with all of them,” Hamlin told Frontstretch.com. “He was really good at what he did, and the biggest change that I noticed is that when we brought him over to 23XI, he made everyone else better.
“He made Bubba (Wallace) quite a bit better, got that 45 team (Tyler Reddick) off the ground and really changed the culture there.”
Busch was in the closing stages of his own lengthy Cup career when 23XI signed him to fill an open seat vacancy while also serving as a mentor to Wallace.
He did a good job with Wallace and was still competitive himself until he suffered a serious concussion in an accident while qualifying at Pocono Raceway in July 2022.
While he tried to recover and return to racing, Busch’s medical condition was such that he was forced to retire from racing a little over a year later in August 2023 because of lingering concussion-like symptoms.
“We certainly were very grateful to have him as part of our team, and unfortunately, the end of his career ended,” Hamlin stated. “But we still instill things that Kurt liked and wanted his race team to be run like still to this day.”
Jordan and Hamlin Kept Busch On The Payroll After His Career-Ending Crash
Credit has to be given to Jordan and Hamlin for not turning their back on Busch after his career-ending wreck.
While he looked around at other options, Busch was given a great opportunity by Jordan and Hamlin that would allow him to still be involved in racing, but wouldn’t have to worry about what might happen if he suffered another concussion behind the wheel.
In essence, Hamlin and Jordan have given Busch a role for as long as he wants it. He may not be behind the wheel, but his vast knowledge base will definitely help 23XI continue to get better with each passing race.
