A lot of questions about the future of 23XI Racing were raised last week when it announced Tyler Reddick would join the team in 2024.
What will his sponsors be? How many cars will the team field?
The team didn’t have answers to those questions.
Kurt Busch may provided a little insight into where things are going, at least for him.
In an interview on the CBS morning show Thursday, the 43-year-old Busch told the show’s hosts “I might be done” racing after the 2023 season.
“I’ve been in this sport 23 years, and this, to me, is like one of those kid-in-the-candy-store moments of, ‘I wanna be part of this,'” Busch said of his time with 23XI Racing. “And I’m glad that I’m having the chance to drive next year for the team, and I might be done driving after that.”
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Reddick will join 23XI after one more season with Richard Childress Racing.
When he makes the move, Reddick will be 27, about to turn 28 in January 2024.
By then, Busch will be 45. He’s the second oldest active Cup driver behind Kevin Harvick, who is 46.
Busch was asked by CBS what was potentially in store for him after 2023.
“There’s a few different options, and for me, the team just gave me so much respect about a month ago,” Busch said. ‘They said, ‘You can drive as long as you want to drive for us. We really appreciate you driving.’”
To celebrate NASCAR’s 75th season, professional drivers are expected to head to Chicago next summer for the first-ever street race in NASCAR Cup Series history.@KurtBusch says the race is an "unprecedented, bold move" for his sport — and shares why it may be his last lap. pic.twitter.com/gChP1yJcTU
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 21, 2022
Busch, who earned his 34th career Cup win earlier this year at Kansas Speedway, fleshed out his and 23XI Racing’s situation more later on in an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The 2004 Cup champion said that 23XI Racing asked him two months ago “how long do you want to drive?”
“We started going through our draft picks of different drivers that we’re looking at,” Busch added. “And just again, with the possibility of going to a third car and getting Tyler as a strong talent signed up this soon it helps us go and look for sponsorship way further in advance. So this gives us options.”
Busch then cited how quickly 23XI’s current teams, the No. 23 and No. 45 cars, were created over the last two years.
“Bubba (Wallace’s) team was put together in six months, my car was put together in five months,” Busch said. “This gives us time, and it creates more structure to really have that best effort forward on the third car, or however many cars we’re going to have.”
And when Busch’s driving days are finally over?
“Yes, I hope that I do have a nice cushy, office job and would love to help out as a consultant, driver development, sponsor relations,” Busch said. “Feel like I’ve got a PhD in NASCAR with 23 years here. .. I’m here in New York. I’m actually met with my TV agent, just trying to learn more things about the Fox side of things, and NBC or who will be our future partner in NASCAR.”