Former NASCAR full-timer Kurt Busch is one of the few drivers in the world to know how it feels to race a cumulative 1100 miles on the same day in two different cars. The former 23XI Racing driver who retired under unfortunate circumstances, is the last driver to have participated in the Memorial Day Double just as Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson plans to take on this weekend.
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Busch reminisced on his attempt from ten years ago and spoke on the spectacle an event like the Indy 500 entails. The 45-year-old touched on how he blocked out the outside atmosphere to keep his emotions as a rookie in check.
He further told Racer.com, “Sunday morning, with 300,000 people there and cameras, sponsors, just the pageantry of it all, I had to block that out. I had to get into race mode and I didn’t take in the whole atmosphere on race day morning because I said, ‘I have to be a professional and I have to be a race car driver right now.’”
Narrowly missing out on retirement from one of racing’s biggest spectacles, Kurt Busch also spoke on how he avoided a crash on the track and found himself in the top 6. Surrounded by IndyCar royalty such as Hélio Castroneves and former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, the NASCAR champion weighed in on his chances.
"You're done learning. Go after it."
Kurt Busch looked back at his first #Indy500 / Charlotte double as Kyle Larson gears up for his first on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/bhnF4Pibor
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) May 23, 2024
He said, “I just made my way through all of that shrapnel and debris from Townsend Bell’s wreck, and luckily I didn’t have a tire puncture. Here I am sitting sixth, and I said, ‘If I get a strong restart and get a run, I’ve got a chance here to work my way into the top three.’”
“I tried to pass Juan Pablo Montoya on the outside of Turn 1 with about four laps to go and watched him put a huge block on me. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m pretty good here. I’m about ready to finish sixth. I don’t need to be in the marbles to be wrecked.’ He was elbows out, ready for me,” Busch added.
Busch ultimately crossed the checkered flag at the 2014 Indy 500 and finished P6 before heading off to race in 2014 Coca-Cola 600. Despite running into engine issues during the Cup Series race, Kurt Busch’s adrenaline quota for the next few weeks must have been fulfilled.
With Kyle Larson aiming to achieve the same feat and even more during his attempt at the historic double this weekend, it is certain that fans from both NASCAR and IndyCar, irrespective of their alliances towards a specific driver will be keeping an eye on the open-wheel rookie.
