Kurt Busch has officially retired from NASCAR Cup Series competition.
The 2004 champion was forced to step away from full-time competition last October following a concussion he suffered during a qualifying session at Pocono in July 2022. At the time, he never used the word ‘retire’ and said on multiple occasions that he would keep the door to return open until doctors closed it otherwise.
In a video posted on Saturday afternoon prior to the Cup race at Daytona International, he has officially retired.
“Racing requires 100 percent of focus, heart, stamina and determination, and I’ve never raced a day without all of that in mind,” Busch said in the video. “But sometimes father time can catch up to your dreams. My incredible team of doctors and I have come to the conclusion that at this point in my recovery there are just too many obstacles for me to overcome and get back to 100 percent.
“So, after 23 years behind the wheel and 45 years of living and breathing this dream, I’m officially announcing my retirement from NASCAR Cup Series competition.”
In addition to his championship, Busch has also won 34 times at the highest level, including the 2017 Daytona 500. He retires while employed at 23XI Racing but also has stops at Stewart-Haas Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Team Penske and Roush Racing.
A testament to his longevity, he was also the final active driver who competed against Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500. He emerged quickly from the Southwest Late Model scene, jumping from the Truck Series in 2000 to the Cup Series the next season.
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He also won a race in 19 of the 22 Cup Series seasons and scored 161 top-fives and 339 top-10s in 776 Cup Series starts. He is 12th on the full-time starts list. Busch also made a one-off start in the Indianapolis 500 in 2014 and finished an impressive sixth for Andretti Autosport.
Busch has been working in an ambassador role for 23XI Racing since his concussion and is expected to maintain a presence at the highest levels of motorsports. Busch has scheduled a press conference for Saturday at Daytona to discuss his career and future.