Kurt Busch announced his departure from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2023 Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, noting he will not return to competition in 2022 and leaving the door open to compete part-time next season for 23XI Racing.
The decision comes after Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, sustained a concussion on July 23 at Pocono in qualifying, seconds after Dale Earnhardt Jr praised him during his commentary for still looking as good as ever.
Busch said, “As I continue to focus on my health towards being cleared, I’ll be stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2023. My long-term health is priority number one, and I don’t feel committing at this point to compete for a championship next year is in my best interest, or in the best interest of the team.”