After an injury kept NASCAR star Kurt Busch out of the last four NASCAR Cup Series races, it looks like Busch won’t be returning to the driver’s seat for the rest of the season.
The NASCAR star announced on Thursday afternoon that he will miss the remainder of the regular season. This means he will miss the Cup Series’ two remaining races at Watkins Glen International and the Daytona International Speedway.
“As much as I want to be back in the car, the time is still not right,” Busch said in a statement on Thursday. “This decision was not an easy one, but the right one. I need to be racing at 100%. I owe that to everyone at 23XI, all of our partners, my fellow competitors, and the fans.”
While Busch will miss the rest of the regular season, the 23XI driver is working to be healthy enough to return for the start of the NASCAR playoffs at Darlington in September.
“It’s my goal to be back in the No. 45 Toyota Camry to start the playoffs,” Busch said in his statement.
While the news is shocking, the NASCAR world applauds Busch for putting his health first.
Keep on keepin' on, Kurt! We'll hopefully see you for the playoffs! #NASCAR https://t.co/VZilPkw52L
— SpeedFreaks (@SpeedFreaks) August 18, 2022
Tough news for @KurtBusch but putting his health/well-being first is key. #NASCAR @Sports_Night https://t.co/jU20DIEQr7
— Mike Solarte (@MikeSolarte) August 18, 2022
https://twitter.com/USLegendCars/status/1560409850030563328?s=20&t=2ZFKDCASISGFAjM0tpAzxg
get well soon, history has a tendency to repeat itself. last time a busch missed most the season from an injury it worked out in the end
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) August 18, 2022
@KurtBusch we applaud you for thinking of your health first, we know how much professionals would rather push through the pain. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and ready to watch you when you get back #BrainHealth https://t.co/isIThx990t
— Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (@BrainInjuryNC) August 19, 2022
Taking care of your health is #1 ! Can’t wait till the start of the playoffs and your return
https://t.co/2l3SHcRS3j — Jeff Hammond (@HollywoodJeff) August 19, 2022
Though he hopes to be back for the playoffs, there’s currently no timeline for Busch to be medically cleared to return.