NBC recently confirmed that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will no longer be associated with them. Following a five-year term as the broadcaster’s analyst, the racing icon chose to take a short break from the box in 2024 before joining hands with Amazon and WBD in 2025. With the most popular name in NASCAR now heading to the door of a direct competitor, NBC seeks to strengthen its position and it could do so by picking up 2004 Cup Series champion, Kurt Busch.
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Busch has one of the most interesting storylines in NASCAR and is now a key figure behind the success of 23XI Racing. He was forced to retire from racing in 2022 following an injury but is open to a role in the booth, should a lucrative opportunity come by. He said last year, “I would consider it. The TV stuff for the Cup show, that’s where I would want to be and be part of. I am ready and open to anything.”
A polarizing figure during his driving career in stock car racing, Busch began his story of redemption after suffering a string of setbacks that culminated with him being charged guilty in a case of physical assault. He joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 and won the Daytona 500 with the team before moving to 23XI Racing.
Though he is now set in his role as a mentor for the team’s roster, he will be one of the names that NBC looks at when trying to pick a suitable replacement for Dale Jr. However, it remains a question of how willing the former champion would be to let go of the Denny Hamlin-Michael Jordan partnered team.
Kurt Busch comfortable in a mentor role with Bubba Wallace at 23XI Racing
Busch has loved being at the garages of 23XI Racing and coaching Bubba Wallace since the day he signed for the team. He said as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I felt like I was the mentor and the fun uncle when I signed on with 23XI. I could just see his [Wallace] growth find another level in the three years that we’ve been together.”
Honored with the role of CFD, Captain of the Fun Department, Busch is a revered and loved figure in the shop. He provides consultations in key areas on and off the track and does so to turn 23XI Racing into a NASCAR powerhouse. “I feel like my time is worth the effort and that there’s more to do,” he said.
