LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 23: Kurt Busch, driver of the #45 McDonald's Toyota, works with a crew member during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2022 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kurt Busch at Pocono Raceway (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NASCAR Cup Series

Kurt Busch Out For Richmond As Recovery Continues

August 11, 2022

Kurt Busch announced Wednesday evening that he’ll miss his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Busch will once again be replaced by Ty Gibbs in the No. 45 Toyota this Sunday at Richmond Raceway.

The 23XI Racing driver suffered his concussion in a wreck during qualifying at Pocono Raceway on July 23. 

Busch said in a statement posted on Twitter that “I’ve been feeling well in my recovery, but this week I pushed to get my heart rate and body in a race simulation type environment and it’s clear I’m not ready to bace in the race car.” 

 

Busch added “this was by far the hardest week emotionally because I do feel the progression of recovery, but racing requires an extreme physical and mental effort, and my body is not 100% able to sustain the intense race conditions.”

Busch, 44, has been given a medical waiver by NASCAR to compete in the Cup Series playoffs.

He qualified for the postseason via his win at Kansas Speedway in May.

In the three races Busch has missed, Gibbs has finished 16th (Pocono), 17th (Indianapolis road course) and 10th (Michigan International Speedway).

Busch’s team owner, Denny Hamlin, addressed his situation last Saturday at Michigan.

“I think he’s moving in a good direction,” Hamlin said. “Certainly, I believe, he feels he’s probably on track to get cleared. But he wants to make sure he’s 100% symptom free and can give us 100% effort when he gets in the car.”

Busch has been somewhat open on social media about his recovery process

On Aug. 3, Busch posted a video of him attending a MLS soccer game in Charlotte, North Carolina. Busch said in the video his doctors had suggested he expose himself to loud environments.

A couple of days later, Busch posted a video showing a sped up version of a workout he went through at the Toyota Performance Center. The Instagram version of the video featured the song “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons.

“I think he’s listening to the protocols that (doctors are) giving him, I know Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. really helped out with getting him in with his doctors in Pittsburgh,” Hamlin said. “It’s a different philosophy from what they used to do with the concussion stuff, where you’d just go into a dark room and sit there until you get better. 

“Now, it’s just trying to retrain the brain as far as I understand.”