It has been nearly 16 months since Kurt Busch announced his full-time retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023. Initially poised for a comeback with his existing team, 23XI Racing, Busch’s plans were hindered by injuries sustained in a July 2022 accident at Pocono Raceway, leading him to ultimately step away from racing for good.
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Busch’s crash at Pocono joined a list of severe accidents involving the Next Gen Cup car, introduced in 2022. During the season, Busch himself had been on the receiving end of a string of crashes in the new car.
He endured 9 crashes that subjected him to forces of at least 15 G’s over 20 race weekends. The Pocono impact, when the former #45 Toyota driver backed into the outside wall, was what broke the camel’s back. Reflecting on his recovery journey, Busch shared, “I’m feeling much, much better since the summer wreck in 2022 and all of the different physical therapy, different neurologist visits.”
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“It was taxing for a while. Basically every other day it was a doctor visit somewhere and going to get hearing checked, eyes checked, balance checked. The vestibular movements were what was greatly affected. I still feel the lingering effects but it has calmed down, and it has been through all the physical therapy and all the great doctors who have helped me,” he added.
The Las Vegas native had initially intended to retire at the end of the 2023 season, but the concussion forced him to vacate his race car a year sooner than planned. Leaving the door open to a possible return to some form of racing, Busch noted he’s still not fully recovered. He mentioned that his issues are exacerbated when his heart rate increases.
Over his 23-year tenure in NASCAR’s premier series, the elder Busch notched 34 victories, 161 top-5 finishes, and 339 top-10 finishes, along with securing 28 poles. In addition, he has claimed 5 wins in the Xfinity Series and 4 in the Craftsman Truck Series, underscoring a distinguished and successful racing career.
Busch intends to be actively involved in the sport
Currently, while Busch has no immediate plans to return to racing, he has revealed his ongoing involvement with the operations of the 23XI Racing team, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
After deciding to take a step back and enjoy a brief respite, Busch described his new role in the team, saying,
“It was great to just be on the sidelines coaching a little bit with 23XI Racing and helping Tyler Reddick make the Final Four with just some of the little things that I can add. Bubba Wallace was also playoff-bound for a long while during the season in 2024.”
“It’s great to have a home and a place in 23XI Racing to dump some of my years of experience on and to coach the next generation of crew chiefs and engineers,” he elaborated.
Although, it would be enticing to see him on the track yet again, his association with the sport and an ambassador for 23XI Racing is also not a bad deal for fans either.
