Concussed Kurt Busch won't race full time in '23

LAS VEGAS -- NASCAR champion Kurt Busch volition miss the remainder of this play with a concussion and volition not vie afloat clip successful 2023.

He made his announcement Saturday astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his location way and wherever helium launched his vocation connected the bullring arsenic a child. He choked up erstwhile helium said doctors told him "it is champion for maine to 'shut it down.'"

"I cognize I americium not 100 percent successful my quality to spell retired and contention astatine the apical level successful the NASCAR Cup Series," Busch said. "These are the champion of the champion drivers, and lately, I haven't felt my best."

Busch, 44, said Tyler Reddick volition regenerate him successful the No. 45 Toyota astatine 23XI Racing adjacent season. Reddick was signed to the squad for the 2024 season, but is nary longer needed to implicit his declaration astatine Richard Childress Racing due to the fact that RCR signed Kyle Busch for adjacent season.

"If I'm cleared, possibly you'll spot maine astatine a fewer prime races" adjacent season, Busch said.

Busch was injured successful a regular clang successful July that exposed a plan flaw successful NASCAR's caller Next Gen car. He has missed 13 consecutive races. Driver Alex Bowman, who was besides injured this year, has missed 2 consecutive and said this week he'll beryllium retired astatine slightest 3 more.

Busch is the past progressive operator who competed successful a Cup contention against the precocious Dale Earnhardt, and the past operator who was portion of the inaugural 10-driver Chase for the Cup successful 2004, the twelvemonth helium upset the Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut and won his lone title.

Busch's status leaves Kevin Harvick arsenic the past progressive operator who raced erstwhile NASCAR's apical bid was called the Winston Cup Series.

23XI praised Busch's contributions to the second-year team.

"From the time Kurt Busch joined our team, we knew helium was going to elevate our enactment successful galore ways," the squad said. "From earning 23XI our archetypal playoff berth with his commanding triumph astatine Kansas Speedway to galore hours spent disconnected the way helping to turn our program, Kurt has made america better.

"This play took an unexpected crook with his injury. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Kurt has not stopped being a existent nonrecreational and a trusted teammate. We afloat enactment Kurt's determination to absorption connected his wellness and are grateful for his guidance arsenic our squad builds a beardown instauration for the future."

He's successful his 2nd play with 23XI Racing and squad co-owner Denny Hamlin said the enactment and Toyota privation Busch to stay portion of the team. He's nether declaration done adjacent play to 23XI.

"Kurt's determination to measurement distant from full-time NASCAR Cup Series contention adjacent twelvemonth is surely not thing anyone expected erstwhile we started the play unneurotic and celebrated successful triumph lane astatine Kansas Speedway earlier this year," said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development

"Unfortunate circumstances led Kurt to a hard decision, but we cognize that helium volition proceed to lend to the full programme astatine Toyota, TRD and 23XI Racing. He brings a tremendous magnitude of cognition and firsthand title acquisition to his squad and chap Toyota competitors. We're present to enactment Kurt successful this adjacent section of his vocation and look guardant to continuing to enactment alongside him.