Kurt Busch Steps Away From Full-Time NASCAR Racing

Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and a 34-time winner in stock car racing's most elite tour, will step away from full time racing in 2023. The decision comes after Busch suffered a concussion at Pocono in July, sidelining him for months and forcing him to withdraw from the NASCAR Playoffs.

While Busch is not formally retiring just yet, he will need to be medically cleared before any part-time appearances in 2023. Busch's No. 45 23XI Racing will instead be driven by Tyler Reddick, a breakout star at Richard Childress Racing this season who had already agreed to join 23XI in 2023 and will now join the program a year early. While the team would likely need an additional charter if it planned to run another full-time car, Busch could still enter in a third car not running for championship points at any time if he can qualify into one of the four at-large spots available in every Cup Series race.