Following a concussion suffered three months in the past, NASCAR Cup Sequence champion Kurt Busch is retiring from full-time racing on the recommendation of his medical doctors.
The 44-year-old made the announcement Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his residence monitor and the place the place he launched his profession, the Related Press first reported. In a press convention, Busch stated medical doctors advised him “it’s best for me to ‘shut it down,'” in response to the report.
Tyler Reddick will change Busch within the quantity 45 Toyota Camry at 23XI Racing for the 2023 season. Reddick had already deliberate to maneuver to 23XI, the crew co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, from Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2024. He was in a position to swap groups a season early as a result of RCR has signed Kyle Busch, Kurt’s youthful brother and a two-time Cup Sequence champion, for 2023.
Kurt Busch driving the quantity 41 Chevrolet SS within the NASCAR Cup Sequence
Busch was injured in a crash in July and has missed 13 races to date. He is not the one Cup Sequence driver presently out with an damage; Alex Bowman has missed two races with a concussion and expects to overlook three extra, in response to the AP. These accidents have led to questions concerning the design of NASCAR’s Subsequent Gen automobile, which was launched this season.
Busch made his Cup Sequence debut in 2000 with Roush Racing in a Ford. Regardless of profitable the 2004 championship with Roush, he was fired from the crew and moved to Group Penske, which was then working Dodges, in 2006. His relationship with that crew additionally ended poorly after the 2011 season, and Busch spent the subsequent few years driving Chevys for a sequence of groups, together with Stewart-Haas Racing.
His final two strikes have been to Chip Ganassi Racing, adopted by 23XI for the 2022 season. A win within the quantity 45 Toyota at Kansas made Busch one in every of solely a handful of drivers to race and win with each NASCAR producer throughout his profession.
Kurt Busch
Busch has gained 34 races in 776 begins over 23 years, plus a 2017 Daytona 500 win. He additionally raced within the Indianapolis 500 and Rolex 24 at Daytona, and dabbled in drag racing.
Busch’s departure marks the top of an period. He is the final energetic driver to have competed in opposition to the late Dale Earnhardt, and the final from the inaugural 10-car Chase for the Cup playoff in 2004, when he gained his solely title. Different stars from that period, similar to Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, have already retired.
Busch reportedly plans to stay an envoy for longtime sponsor Monster Vitality, and has approached Fox Sports activities about commentary work.
