“Feels Like My Open Wheel Days”: Kurt Busch Is Pulling All the Stops in Preparation for His Return to Racing

A couple of months back, Kurt Busch was visiting his neurologist’s office, hoping to obtain a clearance to race again. He did not know whether his potential return would be in Late Models or the Race of Champions at the time. The road ended up taking him to the latter, and he is now hot in preparation to represent Team USA at Syndey this March.

He got into a partnership with former IndyCar Series star Paul Tracy to heat his tires and was set up at the Apex Motor Club in Arizona for practice runs. The road circuit houses an academy that offers performance driving lessons from which Busch believes he can gain a lot ahead of his Race of Champions appearance.

He said, in a recent video posted on his Instagram handle, “I am like a student again! This feels like my open-wheel days, and I went back to Indy. They have a cool technical section that will mock up a lot of what Race of Champions will have.” He continued climbing into a No. 19 car and setting the speed around the track.

 

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The Race of Champions event will be held at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on March 7-8. It will bring infamous names across the globe under a single roof of competition to decide who among them is the best. It is Busch’s third time racing in this event and he will join forces with stunt performer Travis Pastrana to represent the nation.

Is it safe for Busch to race again?

The 2004 Cup Series champion had to retire from the sport abruptly in 2022 following a crash he suffered at the Pocono Raceway. He had a heavy impact on his head and was advised not to get involved in racing again. Over two years after the incident, he still couldn’t acquire the medical clearance to get back on the race track last December.

It is no secret that the last thing that a Busch wants to do is quit. He stayed on his case and told Racer Magazine that he would slowly begin taking steps toward full-time racing. He said, “Right now for 2025, I’m still endorsed with Monster Energy. I’m hopeful to get a light-duty type of clearance to race with my neurologist, which would then open up some opportunities for me.”

The approval came quicker than he thought it would, and the opportunities flowed in along with it. Fredrik Johnsson, the President of the Race of Champions, told the press, “We were very happy when Kurt confirmed that he has received his medical clearance… Kurt and Travis are aiming to win it all for Team USA…”

Busch will be hoping to win it all for Team USA before going against Pastrana and others to win the individual event for the “Champion of Champions” crown. The racing world will rejoice at the return of this iconic driver who played a significant role in the growth of NASCAR in the 2000s.