In what was a pretty emotional ceremony, NASCAR legend Kurt Busch was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame last night. After a career that lasted around two decades, the 2004 Cup Series champion decided to retire from full-time racing in NASCAR last year, a decision no doubt influenced by his crash in Pocono last year, that ended his season. To make the event special, it was Kurt was honored by none other than brother Kyle Busch in an atmosphere that became pretty emotional.
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It was a fitting honor for Busch, who remains the only driver in NASCAR history to win at the Cup Series level for four manufacturers – Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Toyota. Also in attendance were Busch’s teammates from 23XI Racing last year, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
A memorable night for Kurt made even more special by Kyle Busch
The snippets of the ceremony were posted by Samantha Busch on her Instagram account, where the two-time Cup Series champion hailed his brother and welcomed him on stage. The two brothers hugged in what seemed like the perfect family moment for the two, who have come a long way from where they were exactly a year ago – Kurt racing with 23XI Racing and Kyle in his 15th year with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Growing up a blue-collar kid from Las Vegas, racing was just a hobby. I never dreamed of where it would take me. It was a honor to be inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame last night with so many friends and family. We even had the original @StarNursery crew and… pic.twitter.com/zcajADIGph
— Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch) June 10, 2023
Also inducted along with Kurt Busch was long-time rival Kevin Harvick, who is set to retire from NASCAR at the end of the season. Interestingly, both began their full-time Cup Series careers in 2001, where Harvick edged out Busch for Rookie of the Year.
#4EVER a racer.
Congratulations to @KevinHarvick on being inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/mLkTKf3Z0C
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) June 9, 2023
How did Kurt Busch end his illustrious NASCAR career?
In what turned out to be the final season of a storied career, Kurt Busch joined the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing to team up with Bubba Wallace. Although the season began in a disappointing manner, Busch soon found his groove in the Next Gen car with a win at Kansas. Unfortunately, his season would be cut short when he was ruled out for the rest of the season after a crash in qualifying at Pocono, bringing many of the security issues of the Next Gen car to the fore.
With Kurt Busch retiring last season and Kevin Harvick following this year, it is truly the end of an era for a generation of NASCAR fans, who were spoilt with drivers speaking their minds out and being vocal in criticism of the establishment. It will indeed be interesting to watch how the sport, its drivers, and its fans cope with the departure of such legends.
