Kurt Busch won many battles in his heyday.
He drove to victory lane 34 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, establishing himself as a formidable force in NASCAR’s premier division when he won the championship in 2004.
The Nevada native also has five Xfinity Series and four Truck Series triumphs.
There was little doubt that Busch had what it took to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, with his talent recognized by teams like Roush Racing, Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and, most recently, 23XI Racing.
But after 23 years of having his helmet in hand on Sunday afternoons, Busch formally announced his retirement Saturday afternoon.
While the concussion he suffered at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway last July was a major player in his decision, Busch admitted there was more to it than that — citing a losing battle with “father time.”
“It’s not one moment that led to this. It’s a few different factors. My body is just having a battle with father time,” Busch said. “I’ve had arthritis ever since I can remember, my gout has flared up where I can barely walk in some days. I remember last summer, I was trying not to show that emotion, and I could barely walk to the car in Dover.
“I had to have some shots prerace just so I could move my knee and move my feet. Those were those moments where things were starting to add up before things happened at Pocono.”
Despite the masked pain, Busch earned one win, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s during his final Cup Series season in 2022.
He logged a 10th-place result in what became his final race, the Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17, piloting the No. 45 Toyota.
However, it’s his pathway to the top that Busch is choosing to dwell on as he faces a new future.
“Being able to win in all of NASCAR’s top three divisions…To have all of the wins in all of the different styles of tracks, I wanted to be a driver that fans could always count on for a good solid run, each day, each weekend,” Busch said.
“I just wanted to always give them someone to root for, someone they could always count on because I’m pretty much like them. I’m a blue-collar worker that got an opportunity to do something really cool.”
There’s not much about his career that Busch “gets stuck on,” and there are no regrets.
However, the 45-year-old admitted he was in the middle of trying to create a 30/30 club — by earning 30 wins and 30 poles — prior to his forced retirement.
With 34 wins and 28 pole awards, Busch will remain two numbers shy of his goal.
“I think there is just a few select drivers that fit in that category, and I came up a little short. Maybe that was my improper motivation at Pocono,” Busch said, as he sustained his concussion during qualifying at Pocono. “It’s kind of a Hollywood story style ending, so to speak. I was going for pole on my last race — going out on top.”
The latest question for Busch to answer has been, “What’s next?”
Admittedly, the 2017 Daytona 500 winner isn’t quite sure what’s coming down the line.
His first priority is to make a full body recovery.
“That was the struggle. Mentally, emotionally — the push last summer to try to get back for the Playoffs, and I wasn’t able to make it. That was the toughest,” Busch said. “Now everything is settling in, and whether I drive again or not, there is so many other things for me to do and there is no real timeline.”
During his time spent outside the car this season, Busch has found plenty of purpose with 23XI Racing.
The Cup Series veteran has spent considerable time advising drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, as well as working with the engineering staff and other team members to analyze data on the Next Gen car.
His official title was CFD — coefficient of drag — but Busch had a different name for it.
“I re-nicknamed it captain of the fun department,” Busch said with a laugh. He added that he now refers to himself as chief vision officer, saying, “Whatever it means is whatever it means.”
While there was evident emotion as the 45-year-old discussed his retirement at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Saturday, it was also apparent that his enthusiasm to give back to 23XI Racing, and NASCAR as a whole, was heartfelt.
“There are plenty of stories of fun, and wins and losses,” Busch said. “I’m 45 years old. I’m happy, I’m complacent and there is nothing that I look back on with regret about having this opportunity at the top level of NASCAR.”