Kurt Busch Withdraws from NASCAR Playoffs Following Concussion

Kurt Busch has withdrawn his NASCAR playoff waiver, surrendering his spot in the 16-driver field as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered at Pocono in late July, his team announced Thursday. Busch, who has missed the past five NASCAR Cup Series races, has not ruled out a return later in the season.

As Busch had already won a race and only 14 other drivers are currently locked into the playoff field on race wins, he would have made the postseason with a shot at a championship if he had returned to the car at Darlington next weekend. Instead, Busch is voluntarily giving up that spot. 23XI Racing's No. 45 car will still be eligible to win an owner's championship, a separate and little-discussed bracket for points tied to an individual entry rather than its driver.