- Kurt Busch announced his retirement from NASCAR Cup racing on Saturday after 23 years “at the wheel and 45 years living this dream alive”.
- The 2004 Cup Series champion and future NASCAR Hall of Famer has 34 wins, 161 Top 5 finishes, 339 Top 10 finishes and 28 pole positions.
- Busch also added five Xfinity Series wins, four Craftsman Track wins and seven Southwest Tour wins to his racing history.
- He achieved a Memorial Day double in 2014, finishing 6th in the Andretti Autosport Indianapolis 500 before finishing 40th in the Coca-Cola 600 after an engine failure at Stewart Haas Racing Ford. became.
Kurt Busch had planned to retire at the end of the 2023 season, but a concussion on his qualifying lap at Pocono Raceway forced him out of the car a year early. He remained hopeful that he would recover and return to the track in NASCAR’s Cup Series.
But the 2004 NASCAR Cup champion said Saturday at Daytona International Speedway that his hopes and dreams of returning as a NASCAR Cup driver no longer existed.
“My body is fighting father time,” says Bush, 45. “I’ve had arthritis since I can remember. My gout has gotten so bad that I can barely walk some days and am desperate to get physical therapy and keep training.
“I remember last summer trying to keep that feeling out of the way. I couldn’t even walk to the machine because I didn’t, and that was the moment things started to pile up before things happened in Pocono.”
In a video posted by Bush on X (formerly Twitter) about an hour before the Daytona press conference, Bush said: Get over it and get back to 100%. Therefore, after 23 years at the wheel and 45 years of living this dream alive, I am officially announcing my retirement from NASCAR Cup Series competition. ”
Busch didn’t rule out a return to racing at some point, but stressed he’s not 100 percent yet. His problem comes when his heart rate increases.
“It’s not as bad as it was last summer or fall,” Bush said. “Even every three months, I am really happy with the improvement throughout. It will strengthen everything in my system and allow me to react at top-level speed.”
Busch said he would remain as an advisor to 23XI Racing after a stellar racing career “as long as they allow it”.
“This year, I officially named CFD,” Bush said. “It’s the drag coefficient, and actually he’s an abbreviation for CFD, but I renamed it the ‘Captain of the Fun Division’. So it was a good role. ”
Mr. Bush now changed his title because he wanted to be a little more professional within the group, so he named himself CVO (Chief Vision Officer).
“I enjoy working with all departments and helping the team progress with a special eye. Doing so will help us win more races, be more competitive and give us a chance to win the championship. I can get a hold of it, because that’s who I am,” Bush says. “I want to give back to the team.”
Kurt Busch celebrating his 2004 Cup Series victory in Homestead, Florida.
Those in attendance at Busch’s press conference included his brother Kyle Busch, 23XI Racing driver and teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, various 23XI Racing crew members, and NASCAR and Toyota executives. Ta. NASCAR executives include Mike Helton, who said in a text message earlier this week that he “really didn’t expect to end 2002 with so many discussions.” Stated.
The 2004 Cup Series champion and future NASCAR Hall of Famer has 34 wins, 161 Top 5 finishes, 339 Top 10 finishes and 28 pole positions in NASCAR’s premier series in 23 years. was recorded. During his NASCAR career, Busch added to his racing history with his five wins in his Xfinity series, his four wins in his Craftsman truck, and his seven wins in the Southwest Tour. He achieved a Memorial Day double in 2014, finishing 6th in the Andretti Autosport Indianapolis 500 before finishing 40th in the Coca-Cola 600 after an engine failure at Stewart Haas Racing Ford. became.
Kurt Busch was the 2003 International Race of Champions Series event champion in Talladega.
In 2003, Busch won the International Race of Champions event at Talladega and finished 3rd in a Rolex 24 co-driven with Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves for Penske Taylor Racing in 2008. , won the 2010 All-Star race and won with Budweiser. Shootout and first Daytona 500 qualifying race of 2011.
Bush also briefly competed in the NHRA Pro Stock division. He made his debut with the Gator Nationals in Gainesville, Florida in March 2011. His best time at the event was 6.532 seconds, earning him the 12th seed in the qualifying round. In Busch’s debut, he faced No. 5-seeded Erika Enders in the 16-car opener.