At 39 years of age, Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch is one of the greatest drivers ever seen in NASCAR. The two championships that he secured in 2015 and 2019 decorate his crown as he seeks a third title. However, retirement is not far off for the driver and he has already begun throwing his mind into plans. He opened up on them in a recent interview with The Athletic.
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Busch was a part of the newly introduced roundtable show, NASCAR Inside the Playoffs. His appearance led veteran reporter Jeff Gluck to ask him if he would be interested in foraying into the broadcasting world when he retires. Many drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick have chosen this route and turned up quite successful in it. Could Rowdy be the next in line?
He replied, “Maybe. I haven’t really given it a whole lot of thought. I’m just dipping my toe into this and giving it a shot and seeing what the networks think, what the producers think, and everybody behind the scenes to see if I have a voice and an opinion later on down the road.” Watching other drivers be good in the booth appears to be what pulls him towards the job.
He mentioned Harvick and the illustrious career of Darrell Waltrip with Fox Sports as key indicators of how well one could suit the role. “One really good thing about that is how much you can talk up the drivers and how hard it is and about the things you love,” he said. “I’ve made a great living here, so you’d love to be able to give back.” But that’s not all that’s on his notepad.
Kyle Busch wants to be a big part of his son’s racing career
Broadcasting is a demanding industry. One of the biggest reasons why Cup Series drivers retire is to break away from the weekly schedule and spend time with their families. Martin Truex Jr. is the latest example. The veteran specifically stated this season that he no longer wants to put up with the hectic racing schedule.
Getting out of the car only to follow the same calendar from the booth isn’t what many would desire. Busch too has that hesitation right now. He added, “But I also enjoy (9-year-old son) Brexton racing, and I want to be a part of that as well. I enjoy the dirt track aspect of that, being able to get out there and go race at the tracks where he’s racing.”
“So as long as it fits within a schedule — I don’t want to stretch myself too much and put myself out there where I over-commit.” There is still time for Busch to consider his options and strike the right chord as far as post-retirement plans go. For now, his focus will be on winning a race before the ongoing season ends.
