NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch’s time in the sport ended quite abruptly a little over two years back. After being diagnosed with a concussion severe enough to keep him out of the car for a long time, he had announced his retirement from the Cup Series even though he was not ready to call it quits. Busch is now looking back at racing once again.
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The Las Vegas native suffered the concussion in a crash during qualifying at Pocono Raceway in 2022. His Toyota had rear-ended into the wall, while the front of his car smacked it at such a G-force that it raised safety concerns about the Next Gen cars. Needless to say, Busch faced some serious physical repercussions.
Now cleared to race once again, he is preparing to cut his teeth in the Race of Champions. The 2004 Cup Series champion is also looking forward to making inroads into the racing world.
“It has been so much fun just dialing myself back in. I mean, it has even been simple things like opening up my box from Alpinestars in Italy, and there is my new driving suit. That kind of thing has made me feel giddy and made me feel excited about the upcoming season,” said the former 23XI driver.
Busch did not deny the possibility of returning to NASCAR in some way, shape, or form. However, he wants to keep the expectations in check.
“I don’t know where this will lead to, but I’m sure it will open the door and create a ripple effect in the water and it is going to lead to other things,” added Busch.
A break from the gruelling schedule of top-tier NASCAR racing provided Busch an opportunity to reflect. With time at his disposal, he was able to appreciate and follow other motorsports genres too.
“It’s like the weight of the normal grind and not being a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver gave me the freedom to look around and say, ‘Alright! What’s up with this Trans Am Series that Paul Tracy is doing? What’s going on with the IMSA series over here? What’s going on globally over in Europe’?” Busch elaborated, giving an insight into how he coped with his forceful retirement from the Cup Series.
While Busch’s words do not give his fans anything concrete about his possible return to regular racing, it could be the first stepping stone in his comeback as a driver. The 46-year-old could use the Race of Champions to regain confidence while showcasing himself as a talent still worthy of driving in stock car racing’s premier tier.
If not for the Cup Series, could Busch take up another form of racing full-time? With how he has been enticed by Sports Car Racing, it might not be a complete surprise to see him race the IMSA or the TransAm Series.
