“I’m Not Done Yet”: Kyle Busch Shuts Down NASCAR Retirement Talk

Kyle Busch is back in the thick of things, having seemingly turned a new corner in his career. If his Daytona qualifying run, where he won pole for the 500, is anything to go by, Busch has all but silenced the talks of retirement that started doing the rounds ever since he turned 40 last May. 

Busch, who always negated the voices questioning his age and performance by insisting that he still had laps left in him. He has doubled down again with more fire than ever with the pole run.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is entering his 22nd full-time season, and his contract with Richard Childress Racing runs through 2026. Even though questions about his future are still hanging in the air, Busch clearly is in no mood to give up. Winless for 93 races? Doesn’t matter.

“I would say still just the competition of it, the nature of me being a competitor and wanting to go out there and still do this. And, obviously, the Daytona 500 box that’s unchecked is obviously another driving factor to that, wanting to come out here,” Busch said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“We only get a chance to do that once a year to try to win that race. But, the rest of it, too, like I don’t feel like I’m at the age to hang it up. Like I’m not done yet. There’s plenty more to do. I feel like I’m at the age where there’s still more championships available,” he continued.

“Being able to put the rest of the pieces together to be able to have all of that around you to go out there and achieve that is another thing. But, just excited about another new year,” added Busch, who has also hinted that he plans to stick around until his son, Brexton, is old enough to compete on the national stage.

Brexton, who will turn 11 this year, would still need at least six years to make it to the national grid, though.

Despite a winless stretch dating back to June 2023, Busch remains focused on Victory Lane. He believes more titles are still within reach at 40, much like how Denny Hamlin continues to prove his pace at 44. And Busch has more supporters in the field.

Kevin Harvick backs his former rival

Harvick said a Busch rebound would be a lift not just for the RCR camp but for the sport in general. More than that, he admitted it’s hard to watch a driver with that resume hit a rough patch late in the career.

“Yeah, I think that Kyle Busch being competitive and winning races is really important to our sport, and he deserves that. It’s a contract year for Kyle Busch, and I believe that he can still get it done,” said Harvick.

It will all come down to Busch feeling at one with the car and getting what he needs under the hood. Step one would be having speed under the hood.

The RCR camp has taken heat for a lack of pace. But Daytona showed signs of life, with Busch’s pole run putting the field on notice. Harvick believes that puts a target on everyone else. It also means that Busch can’t afford to throw it away with spins, wrecks, or slip-ups on pit road, especially now, when consistency will play such a big role for playoff chances.