Kurt Busch has a long list of records set in the NASCAR Cup Series. One of the most impressive ones among them is the qualifying speed that he posted during a 2017 qualifying session at the Texas Motor Speedway. He blazed his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang forward at a speed of 200.915 miles per hour to secure pole position for the AAA Texas 500. That number also did one other thing.
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It was the fastest pace ever recorded at a 1.5-mile intermediate oval track in Cup Series history. Five cars broke the 200-mile-per-hour barrier that day.
Denny Hamlin was one among them. His words still resonate hard when observing the speed with which the cars were driven. He said, “Trust me, I don’t know of any driver that is comfortable running at the speed where running right now.”
“Kevin Harvick walked by and as soon as that was over, he said, ‘I’m glad that is over.’ It’s crazy speed.” The other drivers who crossed the 200 miles per hour mark were Harvick, Erik Jones, and Kyle Busch.
The elder Busch brother had prophetically told the sons of his friend before the event that speeds above 200 mph would be set. He was glad that he was able to back his word up.
The rise of speed in intermediate ovals particularly came after restrictor plates were introduced in superspeedways. Harvick ended up winning the AAA Texas 500.
Busch finished in ninth place. He would then spend one more season with Stewart-Haas Racing before moving to Chip Ganassi Racing and later 23XI Racing, where he would retire in 2022 after suffering a concussion.
Will Kurt Busch be back to racing in NASCAR?
At the time of retirement, Busch told the press that the injuries to his head alone were not the reasons for him calling it quits. He was tired of the toll that competitive racing had taken on him and his life. Moreover, the recommendation from his doctors was that he end his time behind the wheel.
However, he revealed in a recent interview with Racer Magazine that he is still open to racing and will be making cautious steps towards a potential return. That will be with driving in the lower leagues with caution and following the advice of his doctors. Before that, his neurologist will have to clear him.
Busch is currently still in association with 23XI Racing and Monster Energy. The partnerships will aid him when and if he decides to return to competition. Maybe the 2004 Cup Series champion does have a few more fastest laps left in him.
