Kurt Busch updates recovery: “Everyday life is normal”

In fact, the elder Busch brother would a lot quite be out on monitor competing on this yr’s 500.

As destiny would have it although, a qualifying crash final summer time at Pocono Raceway modified his profession path, forcing him to the sidelines with a concussion. He was unable to get again behind the wheel of the race automotive, and was finally changed by Tyler Reddick for the 2023 season. 

Nonetheless, ought to he be cleared to race, 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin has stated that there might be a 3rd automotive ready for him. Travis Pastrana is driving that entry on this weekend’s Daytona 500, making his Cup debut.

Busch, 44, gained the five hundred again in 2017. This month, he’s on the monitor lending his years of racing experience to his youthful teammates.

Kurt Busch, 23XI Racing, Monster Power Toyota Camry

Photograph by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Photos

“There was a second final night time with Tyler Reddick attempting to learn to draft with Denny Hamlin, who’s his boss,” stated Busch. “I noticed it and thought, I went by means of that final yr on this race. Our debrief proper after the race, it’s the factor I did final yr with Bubba (Wallace), it’s to advance faster and to advance smarter and to use the suitable issues to guarantee that 23XI goes in the suitable route. I’m not doing it on my own. I’m simply an additional set of eyes and an additional set of ears.

“I’m pretending typically that I’ve the blinders on and I’m driving the automotive. I feel you possibly can see with Bubba’s maturity degree final yr within the second half, aside from Vegas when he screwed up, however the way in which that he took management and had good common finishes final yr, his common finishes he had within the second half had been higher than the typical finishes I had within the first half and we put a automotive within the top-10 in his first season. These had been issues that occurred at Furnishings Row and we noticed how they superior. That’s simply what I hope to do with this workforce and have Tyler Reddick on the fuel digging onerous and add to his three wins that he acquired final yr.”

Busch was not able to exit the race automotive, however he finds enjoyment in his present function with the workforce. It is weirdly acquainted, aside from the truth that he is not racing on Sundays. Mentoring youthful teammates is one thing he is been doing for a very long time.

“The whole lot simply occurred a yr earlier than I anticipated them to and I’m pleased with the place all the things sits,” he defined. “Even like Ty Gibbs, with him leaping within the Monster Power automotive final yr and getting him in control within the Cup Collection, Monster Power at all times informed me to out my arm round him as a result of he was going to be the one for us in a while. With issues being fast-forwarded and now with it being the second week of being right here at monitor in Daytona, we did the Coliseum final week. There’s no query the place my function is with the workforce, it’s in all places with the workforce. And doing totally different interviews with the workforce and with our different sponsors. I’m doing all the things the identical, however not placing a helmet on and as a substitute placing a radio on for follow, qualifying and the race.”

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Busch wasn’t the one driver to undergo a concussion final yr. Alex Bowman missed a handful of races after an identical rear-end affect at Texas Motor Speedway, however the 29-year-old was wholesome sufficient to return for the season finale.

Talking on his restoration, Busch informed the assembled media that he is “doing effectively.” 

He added: “On a regular basis life is regular. After I do my exercises with the bodily therapist, we swap them up a bit bit now onto a steadiness kind of pad and it helps with creating core energy and it helps with my actions that I’ve to do and it’s fatiguing. I discover issues that carry me up after which break me down when I’ve to do a day on and a time off now. The place I used to be pushing seven days every week to attempt to get again to the automotive after which in all honesty, I took December off. It was an emotional time and that was a part of this course of as effectively. However I’m doing effectively.

And most of all, he is protecting busy. Not solely is he working as a marketing consultant for 23XI, however he stays a model ambassador for Monster Power. He is additionally working carefully with Toyota, displaying them “one other aspect of a Busch that they hadn’t seen earlier than.” 

Kurt Busch, 23XI Racing, Jordan Model Toyota Camry

Photograph by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Photos

Busch and his medical doctors consider that he may race once more, however he admits to not but being 100% match to get again behind the wheel at this degree of competitors. 

“They consider it, I consider it. I simply know that proper right here, I’m not one hundred pc to race with these guys, one of the best of one of the best right here at this degree. May I’m going do a SCCA membership race subsequent week? It’s most likely not sensible. Go-karting has been effective for me, the simulator has been effective, it’s simply once I had my head within the headrest and there’s that motion, that’s bothers me. After which with the progress that I’ve made, progress since August, sure. I do consider there might be a full restoration and the brand new bodily remedy I’m on is one other problem and plenty of it’s with the steadiness and eye motion.”

However is there some extent the place Busch would not hassle returning to Cup Collection competitors, even when he had been cleared?

“That’s the factor, life strikes ahead,” he stated. “Contracts occur. This can be a big-time sport and there’s eight figures as of late for sponsorship cash. These don’t simply fall out of the sky. I’ve acquired a terrific relationship with Monster Power and with Toyota and that’s why you see me right here on the monitor, pushing onerous and doing all the things the identical as I might be if I used to be racing. There’s a giant announcement subsequent week with Tyler Reddick on the Monster Power headquarters, there’s a video right this moment with Ty Gibbs. There’s plenty of enjoyable stuff occurring. As soon as there’s that inexperienced mild, then there’s the possibility to open the door for discussions so it’s a course of. Can’t push one earlier than the opposite.”

Wallace, who was the 2022 Daytona 500 runner-up, will begin fifteenth on Sunday. Reddick will begin twenty sixth, and Pastrana citing the rear of the sector in fortieth.