Kurt Busch retired from competition in the NASCAR Cup Series after suffering a concussion in Pocono in 2022. However, he continued being associated with the team, 23XI Racing, as a consulting mentor. It turns out that there is still a glimmer of chance that the 2004 champion would compete again.
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“Right now for 2025, I’m still endorsed with Monster Energy,” Busch told Racer Magazine in a recent interview. “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.”
There are a few steps Busch has to take before his doctors give him the clearance to get into a race car. Even then, it won’t be a quick move to competition. He has to take things slow, one step at a time.
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“So go-karting, driving with friends, racing schools, using some of my brother’s (Kyle Busch) race cars that are current,” explained Kurt. “That would be the way to really step it back up, and just see what 2025 can bring behind the wheel.”
Busch is not sure if his comeback will be in late models or in the Race of Champions, which is to be held in Sydney in 2025.
Regardless, this is a positive update for his fans who were left in shock by his sudden exit.
Why Busch had to retire following his concussion in 2022
The crash that caused the concussion at Pocono wasn’t the only reason why Busch retired.
“There’s not one moment or one circumstance that has led to this decision,” he said in an announcement that year. “It’s a layer of things. And just to be frank and to smile a little bit, I mean, I’ve wrecked a lot of [crap] in my life — old cars, new cars. And so over the years, things add up.”
The 46-year-old has dealt with a lot of highs and lows throughout his career that began at the grassroots in the late 1990s. It was only natural that things caught up with him. He took the accident as a sign that he should step away.
However, his endorsement for Monster Energy continued, alongside his role with 23XI Racing. These associations will lend a hand if and when he decides to mount a comeback based on his future health and progress.
Busch had started in 776 races in his time in the premier tier, winning 34 of them. In 2023, the Las Vegas native was also named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Meanwhile, Kurt’s younger brother Kyle is preparing to compete in yet another season with Richard Childress Racing in 2025, looking to step up from this year’s slump.
